Would you expect AMGN to NOT de-risk their investment in a preclinical entity that was still at least a year away from reaching human studies?
AMGN took on massive risk getting into a preclinical program in the first place. It's no surprise at all if the deal is mostly backloaded, hence why they were able to secure such a deal in the first place. I would like for anyone to show me a better deal made while the drug in question was still in preclinical studies.