Amgen related Press Releases

Amgen to Present at the Leerink Swann Global Healthcare Conference

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:20:50 -0500

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) will present at the Leerink Swann Global Healthcare Conference at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Jonathan M. Peacock, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Amgen, will present at the conference. Live audio of the presentation can be accessed from the Events Calendar on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com, under Investors.

About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe, effective medicines from lab to manufacturing plant to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. Follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Christine Regan, 805-447-5476 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Amgen to Acquire Micromet

Jennifer Levin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:53:34 -0500

Amgen to Acquire Micromet

Acquisition Includes a Novel Cancer Treatment in Clinical Trials for Hematologic Malignancies

Micromet's Proprietary BiTE® Platform has Potential to Improve Treatment in Multiple Tumor Types

All-Cash Transaction Values Micromet at $1.16 Billion

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., and ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITI) today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amgen will acquire Micromet, a biotechnology company founded in Germany with its research and development (R&D) center in Munich and headquarters in Rockville, Md., for $11 per share in cash. The transaction, which values Micromet at approximately $1.16 billion, was unanimously approved by both the Amgen and Micromet Boards of Directors.

The acquisition includes blinatumomab, a Bispecific T cell Engager (BiTE) antibody in Phase 2 clinical development for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Blinatumomab is also in clinical development for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and could have applications in other hematologic malignancies.

"The acquisition of Micromet is an opportunity to acquire an innovative oncology asset with global rights and a validated technology platform with broad potential clinical applications," said Kevin Sharer, chairman and CEO at Amgen. "Blinatumomab will serve as an important complement to our oncology pipeline and is representative of our corporate strategy, which is focused on developing and successfully commercializing therapeutics to treat patients with grievous illness."

Amgen will gain the following as a result of the acquisition:

Blinatumomab, a BiTE antibody that has demonstrated encouraging single-agent activity in both adult and pediatric patients with ALL as well as adult patients with NHL, and is currently under investigation in five trials:
Two Phase 2 trials for adult patients with relapsed/refractory ALL
Phase 1/2 trial for pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory ALL
Phase 2 trial for adult ALL patients with minimal residual disease (MRD)
Phase 1 trial for adult patients with relapsed/refractory NHL
Proprietary BiTE antibody technology which provides an innovative, validated platform for future clinical research
Potential milestone and royalty payments from existing licensees of BiTE and other technologies
Unencumbered rights to solitomab, a BiTE antibody in Phase 1 for patients with advanced solid tumors
Micromet's Munich site, which will operate as an Amgen R&D center of excellence

"We believe that this transaction represents an attractive opportunity for Micromet, its stockholders and cancer patients," said Christian Itin, Ph.D., Micromet's president and CEO. "Amgen's extensive resources and experience in the development and commercialization of biologics promise to speed blinatumomab's path to market, expand its development across a broader range of B-cell malignancies and maximize the full potential of our novel BiTE technology."

Terms of the Transaction

Under the terms of the merger agreement, a subsidiary of Amgen Inc. will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Micromet's common stock at a price of $11 per share in cash. Following the purchase of shares through the tender offer, Amgen will complete the transaction by acquiring all remaining shares not acquired in the offer through a merger at the same price as the tender offer. The consummation of the tender offer is subject to various conditions, including a minimum tender of at least a majority of outstanding Micromet shares on a fully diluted basis, the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary conditions. The tender offer is not subject to a financing condition. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter.

Amgen is advised by Moelis & Company LLC and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Cooley LLP are acting as financial and legal advisors, respectively, to Micromet.

Amgen will discuss the transaction as part of its fourth quarter earnings conference call today with the investment community at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The previously scheduled conference call will primarily address Amgen's fourth quarter and full year financial results. Live audio of the conference call will be simultaneously broadcast over the Internet and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public. The conference call, including the question and answer session, is expected to last approximately one hour.

The webcast of the conference call, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com, under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe, effective medicines from lab to manufacturing plant to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.

About Micromet, Inc.

Micromet is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Micromet is advancing a robust pipeline of novel therapeutics based on its proprietary BiTE® technology. Micromet's lead product candidate blinatumomab is currently the subject of a European trial in patients with minimal residual disease positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Micromet has collaborations with a number of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Amgen, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, MedImmune, Merck Serono, Nycomed and Sanofi.

About Blinatumomab

Blinatumomab is a Bispecific T cell Engager (BiTE antibody) designed to direct a patient's cytotoxic T cells to eliminate cancer cells that express CD19. CD19 is a protein expressed on the surface of B-lymphocytes including acute lymphoblastic leukemias and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Data on blinatumomab demonstrating a high complete remission rate in adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-precursor ALL was recently reported at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, held in December 2011.

About BiTE Technology

BiTE antibodies are designed to direct the body's cytotoxic, or cell-destroying, T cells against tumor cells, and represent a new therapeutic approach to cancer therapy. Typically, antibodies cannot engage T cells because T cells lack the appropriate receptors for binding antibodies. BiTE antibodies have been shown to bind T cells to tumor cells, ultimately killing the tumor cells.

Amgen Forward-Looking Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on Amgen's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including statements about the planned completion of the tender offer and the merger, estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reports filed by Amgen, including Amgen's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and most recent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Please refer to Amgen's most recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K for additional information on the uncertainties and risk factors related to Amgen's business. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of Jan. 26, 2012 and expressly disclaims any duty to update information contained in this news release.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those Amgen projects. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for Amgen to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and Amgen expects similar variability in the future. Amgen develops product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as Amgen may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, Amgen or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with Amgen's products after they are on the market. Amgen's business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and products liability claims. Amgen depends on third parties for a significant portion of its manufacturing capacity for the supply of certain of its current and future products and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of its current products and product candidate development.

In addition, sales of Amgen's products are affected by the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payors, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment as well as U.S. legislation affecting pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement. Government and others' regulations and reimbursement policies may affect the development, usage and pricing of Amgen's products. In addition, Amgen competes with other companies with respect to some of its marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Amgen believes that some of its newer products, product candidates or new indications for existing products, may face competition when and as they are approved and marketed. Amgen's products may compete against products that have lower prices, established reimbursement, superior performance, are easier to administer, or that are otherwise competitive with its products. In addition, while Amgen routinely obtains patents for its products and technology, the protection offered by its patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by its competitors and there can be no guarantee of Amgen's ability to obtain or maintain patent protection for its products or product candidates. Amgen cannot guarantee that it will be able to produce commercially successful products or maintain the commercial success of its existing products. Amgen's stock price may be affected by actual or perceived market opportunity, competitive position, and success or failure of its products or product candidates. Further, the discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of Amgen's products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on Amgen's business and results of operations.

The scientific information discussed in this news release related to product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Such product candidates are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the product candidates. Only the FDA can determine whether the product candidates are safe and effective for the use(s) being investigated. Healthcare professionals should refer to and rely upon the FDA-approved labeling for the products, and not the information discussed in this news release.

Additional Information

The tender offer described in this communication (the "Offer") has not yet commenced, and this communication is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any shares of the common stock of Micromet, Inc. ("Micromet") or any other securities. On the commencement date of the Offer, a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, a letter of transmittal and related documents, will be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The offer to purchase shares of Micromet common stock will only be made pursuant to the offer to purchase, the letter of transmittal and related documents filed as a part of the Schedule TO. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ BOTH THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT REGARDING THE OFFER, AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. The tender offer statement will be filed with the SEC by Armstrong Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen formed for the purpose of making the Offer, and Amgen, and the solicitation/recommendation statement will be filed with the SEC by Micromet. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of these statements (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or by directing such requests to Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the Offer, at (888) 877-5360 (toll free).

Micromet Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this announcement that relate to future results and events are forward-looking statements based on Micromet's current expectations regarding the tender offer and transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Actual results and events in future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements because of a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurances that a transaction will be consummated. Other risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that expected benefits may not materialize as expected; that the transaction may not be timely completed, if at all; that, prior to the completion of the transaction, if at all, Micromet may not satisfy one or more closing conditions; that the merger agreement may be terminated; and the impact of the current economic environment; risks related to Micromet's ongoing development activities and clinical trials; and other risks that are described in Micromet's most recent Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2011. Micromet undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements except to the extent otherwise required by law.

Contacts
Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Mary Klem, 805-447-6979 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

Micromet
Jennifer Neiman, 240-235-0246 (media and investors)
Andrew Cole/Lesley Bogdanow
Sard Verbinnen & Co.
212-687-8080

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120124/LA41366LOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Amgen Announces Webcast of 2011 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:21:21 -0500

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that it will report its fourth quarter and full year 2011 financial results on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 after the close of the financial markets. The announcement will be followed by a conference call with the investment community at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Participating in the call from Amgen will be Kevin Sharer, chairman and chief executive officer, and other members of Amgen's senior management team.

Live audio of the conference call will be simultaneously broadcast over the Internet and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public.

The webcast of the conference, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com, under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Christine Regan, 805-447-5476 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Oxford BioTherapeutics Appoints C. Glenn Begley as a Senior Clinical Advisor and Non-executive Director

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:20:57 -0500

OXFORD, England, January 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) today announces that it has appointed C. Glenn Begley as a senior clinical advisor and non-executive director. Dr Begley, who was the Vice President and Global Head of Hematology and Oncology Research at Amgen, will take on a key role in helping shape and execute OBT's clinical and corporate strategy as it advances its pipeline of oncology antibody-based drugs into clinical development.

C. Glenn Begley has over 10 years of experience in leading the strategy and co-ordination of Oncology Research at Amgen, and brings extensive knowledge and expertise to OBT at an exciting phase in the company's development. As Vice-President and Global Head of Hematology and Oncology at Amgen, Dr Begley was responsible for advancing 24 molecules into clinical development, including several human monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugates.

Before joining Amgen in 2002, Dr Begley also gained over 20 years of clinical experience in medical oncology and haematology. He has held several academic positions including Executive Director at the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research, and Senior Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. He is also Board Certified in Australia as a Medical Oncologist and Haematologist (F.R.A.C.P.), and Laboratory Haematologist (F.R.C.P.A., Australia; F.R.C. Path, United Kingdom) and holds a PhD in cellular and molecular biology.

Dr Begley commented, "I am excited by this unique opportunity to join a high-calibre team at a rapidly advancing biotech company with an impressive pipeline of preclinical cancer programs and network of collaborators / licensing partners. I look forward to working with the company's senior management team and board of directors as OBT realises its goal of transforming the targeted treatment of cancer by successfully driving its pipeline of antibody-based therapeutics into the clinic."

Dr Christian Rohlff, CEO of OBT, commented, "I am delighted to welcome Glenn to OBT. His wealth of relevant clinical and commercial expertise in the oncology and antibody field will be instrumental in helping OBT to transition into a successful clinical development organisation as the company works to enhance the future treatment prospects for cancer patients with no treatment."

Today's announcement follows OBT's recent collaboration with Seattle Genetics, Inc. for the development of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer, highlighting OBT's growing recognition in the ADC field.

About OGAP®

The Oxford Genome Anatomy Project (OGAP®) database represents one of the world's largest proprietary collections of disease-associated proteins. OGAP® oncology contains proteomic data on over 7,500 cancer membrane proteins combined with genomic and clinical information derived from human blood and cancer tissue studies. OGAP® contains proprietary target information on three-quarters of the entire human proteome. Almost two million human protein fragments have been sequenced in OGAP® in 50 different human tissues representing 60 diseases, including 25 forms of cancer. OGAP® integrates data covering 17,000 different genes and over eight million genetic variants (SNPs and haplotypes).

About Oxford BioTherapeutics

Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) is a leading international biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based cancer medicines, with integrated diagnostics, against novel targets that it has discovered in its unique OGAP® proteomic database. OBT accesses leading antibody technologies and expertise through its partnerships with many of the world leaders in antibody development, including BMS (Medarex), Amgen, Alere (formerly Biosite) and BioWa, and through its development alliances with GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi. OBT's diagnostic collaboration with Alere also provides the opportunity to develop tailored diagnostics for OBT's therapeutic products. These partnerships have enabled OBT to convert its world leading capabilities in the discovery of novel oncology targets into a highly attractive pipeline of therapeutic antibodies. OBT's pipeline aims to deliver innovative and cost-effective first-in-class medicines to fulfil major unmet patient needs in the field of cancer.

For further information, please see http://www.OxfordBioTherapeutics.com

Oxford BioTherapeutics Inquiries:

Chief Executive Officer:
Christian Rohlff, Ph.D.
+44(0)1235-861770
E-mail cr@oxbt.co.uk

Media inquiries:

David Dible
+44(0)207-6389571
Citigate
E-mail david.dible@citigatedr.co.uk

SOURCE Oxford BioTherapeutics

Zymeworks Announces the Formation of its Therapeutics Advisory Team, and Appointment of VP, Preclinical R&D to Advance its

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:21:53 -0500

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zymeworks Inc., a privately held biotherapeutics company focused on the development of best-in-class antibody and next generation protein-based therapeutics, today announced the formation of its therapeutics advisory team and the appointment of a new Vice-President, Preclinical Research and Development.

Zymeworks is pleased to announce that Tom Boone, formerly Vice-President, Protein Sciences at Amgen, Inc., will be joining Dr. Michael Gresser in steering Zymeworks’ strategic therapeutics initiative. Dr. Gresser, who currently serves as the chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, will be increasing the scope of his involvement with Zymeworks.

“We are truly privileged to have Mike and Tom spearheading the development of our therapeutics pipeline,” says Dr. Ali Tehrani, President and CEO of Zymeworks. “Their track record of bringing innovative new therapeutics to market is unparalleled, and given their commitment to this initiative, we are confident that as Zymeworks enters this new phase of growth, it does so with world-class scientists and drug developers at the helm. Moreover, given the demands on both Mike and Tom’s time, I’m honored that they have chosen to contribute their time and talents to our programs.”

Zymeworks is also pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gordon Ng to the position of Vice-President, Preclinical Research and Development. Dr. Ng joins Zymeworks with over fifteen years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug discovery experience from the Myelin Repair Foundation, Amgen, and the Merck Frosst Center for Therapeutic Research. During his nine years at Amgen he served as a Scientific Director and was instrumental in advancing multiple preclinical candidates towards the clinic, as well as managing multiple internal and partnered research initiatives.

“I’m pleased to welcome Gordon to the Zymeworks team,” says Dr. Ali Tehrani, President and CEO of Zymeworks. “Gordon will be working hand in hand with Mike and Tom, as well as our protein sciences group, to advance our therapeutics pipeline. Gordon will also be contributing his years of experience and expertise in preclinical drug development to the advancement of our Azymetric™, AlbuCORE™ and EFECT™ platforms as well as our continuing strategic collaboration with Merck.”

About Zymeworks Inc.

Zymeworks is a privately held biotechnology company that is developing best-in-class antibody therapeutics for the treatment of oncology, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases. The company’s proprietary ZymeCAD™ structure-guided protein engineering technology and its novel Azymetric™ and AlbuCORE™ platforms enable the development of highly potent bi-specific antibodies and multivalent protein therapeutics targeted across a range of indications. Zymeworks is focused on growing its preclinical biotherapeutics pipeline through in-house research and development programs and strategic collaborations. More information on Zymeworks can be found at www.zymeworks.com.

About Dr. Michael Gresser

Mike Gresser received his Ph.D in Biochemistry in 1976 from Brandeis University, and completed postdoctoral studies at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA on the mitochondrial and chloroplast proton translocating ATP synthases. In 1980 Mike joined the Department of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, where he served as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Chemistry. In 1988 Mike joined Merck & Co., Inc. as Director of Biochemistry at the Merck Frosst Center for Therapeutic Research, and was eventually promoted Executive Director of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 2000 Mike joined Amgen, where he remained until 2006. While at Amgen he served as VP, Research for Inflammation and later as Head of Neuroscience Research and Inflammation Research. Subsequently, Mike also served as the Interim Chief Scientific Officer at Oxford BioTherapeutics between 2009 and 2010, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA.

About Tom Boone

Tom Boone is an experienced bench scientist and manager having served a 28 year career with Amgen. Tom received his graduate degrees from UC Davis and UCLA and joined Amgen as a research associate cloning and sequencing genes including G-CSF (Neupogen). During the late 80’s and throughout the 1990’s Tom worked in process development as a scientist and director and developed or oversaw the development of many of the processes implemented at Amgen including the Neupogen process. Tom then headed the expression, purification, and characterization groups within Amgen's research group which went on to become the Protein Science group. Tom retired from Amgen in 2009 as VP, Protein Sciences overseeing a biologics R&D team of over 300 researchers across five sites. Tom currently serves as Senior VP, Protein Sciences at Oxford BioTherapeutics.

CONTACT:

Zymeworks Inc.
Ali Tehrani, Ph.D., 604-678-1388
President & CEO
info@zymeworks.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Canada New York

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Biotechnology Oncology Pharmaceutical Other Health Research Science

MEDIA:

Logo

Amgen to Present at the 30th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Healthcare Conference

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:20:34 -0500

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) will present at the 30th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Healthcare Conference at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, Calif. Robert A. Bradway, president and chief operating officer at Amgen, will present at the conference. Live audio of the presentation can be accessed from the Events Calendar on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com, under Investors.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Christine Regan, 805-447-5476 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Kevin Sharer, Amgen Chairman and CEO, Announces Plan to Retire With Robert Bradway to Become CEO on May 23, 2012; Sharer Will Co

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:21:07 -0500

Roger Perlmutter to Retire as EVP of Research and Development with Sean Harper to Assume the Role on February 13, 2012

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kevin W. Sharer, chairman and chief executive officer of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) since 2000, has announced his plan to retire from the Company at the end of 2012, following 20 years of service to Amgen. To facilitate an orderly transition process, Sharer will step down as CEO effective May 23, 2012, and remain as chairman of the Company's Board of Directors until December 31, 2012, at which time he will retire from the Board and from the Company. Robert Bradway, currently president and chief operating officer, will become CEO on May 23, 2012. It is the intention of the Board of Directors to elect Bradway chairman of the Board when Sharer retires from that position at the end of 2012. The Board will also elect a lead independent director at that time.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Vance Coffman, chairman of the Board's governance and nominating committee said, "The Board thanks Kevin Sharer for his service in leading Amgen over the past decade. During that time Amgen grew significantly in every dimension and is well positioned for the future. Amgen's core mission to serve patients remains our bedrock. The Board is excited to have a talented executive in Bob Bradway as the fourth CEO in our Company's history."

"Today Amgen announces its next generation of leaders as we pass the reins to Bob Bradway and Sean Harper," said Kevin Sharer. "Bob and Sean have demonstrated sound judgment, delivered consistently excellent operating results and provided strong leadership in a variety of challenging roles. Amgen will be in good hands. I would particularly like to thank Roger Perlmutter for his eleven years of service. He has been an outstanding head of research and development, and his accomplishments have benefited millions of patients. In the months ahead, we will focus on making the transition to Bob and Sean seamless."

Sharer, 63, joined Amgen in 1992 and served as president until 2000 when he was named chairman and CEO. Under his tenure Amgen grew from $3.6B in revenue with a presence in 17 countries to a company today with revenues approaching $16B and operations in 55 countries.

Bob Bradway, 48, joined Amgen in 2006 as a vice president in operations. He was appointed CFO in 2007, and was named president and chief operating officer in 2010. Prior to joining Amgen, Bradway worked for 19 years with Morgan Stanley. Bradway holds a BA in Biology from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard University.

Roger Perlmutter, 59, will retire as executive vice president of research and development effective February 12, 2012. Dr. Perlmutter will then work with Amgen as a consultant to aid in the transition until February, 2013. Dr. Perlmutter joined Amgen in 2000, and during his tenure Amgen has gained the approval for many new drugs, including Aranesp^®, Neulasta^®, Vectibix^®, Nplate^®, Sensipar^® and Amgen's newest drugs, Prolia^® and Xgeva^®.

Sean Harper, 49, will assume his new role on February 13, 2012, reporting to Bob Bradway. Dr. Harper will be responsible for Amgen's global research and development functions. Dr. Harper joined Amgen in 2002, and has held leadership roles in early development, medical sciences and global regulatory and safety. His current role is senior vice president, global development and he serves as chief medical officer for Amgen. Prior to joining Amgen, Dr. Harper worked for 6 years at Merck Research Laboratories. He attended medical school at UCSF, was board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology after training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Christine Regan, 805-447-5476 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Amgen Announces 2012 First Quarter Dividend

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:21:01 -0500

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) announced that its Board of Directors today declared a $0.36 per share dividend for the first quarter of 2012. This represents an approximate 29 percent increase from that paid in the previous two quarters. The dividend will be paid on March 7, 2012 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on Feb. 15, 2012.

About Amgen

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and others that can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2010, and in our periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. The Company's results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments (domestic or foreign) involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products (domestic or foreign) and difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products. In addition, sales of our products are affected by reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and health care cost containment as well as U.S. legislation affecting pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement. Government and others' regulations and reimbursement policies may affect the development, usage and pricing of our products. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We, or others, could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors. We depend on third parties for a significant portion of our manufacturing capacity for the supply of certain of our current and future products and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to some of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Christine Regan, 805-447-5476 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Amgen Statement on European Investor Visit

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:21:06 -0500

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today issued the following statement:

Amgen will be meeting with investors in Europe this week with a view to raise $1-1.5 billion in Euro and Sterling denominated debt to support its share repurchase program, as well as for general corporate purposes. The timing of this potential offering will be subject to market conditions.

The debt will not be or have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. Accordingly, the debt, if offered, will be offered only to persons other than "U.S. persons" in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.

About Amgen

Forward-Looking Statements

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Christine Regan, 805-447-5476 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)

SOURCE Amgen

Micromet to Report Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results on November 8

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:20:55 -0400

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Micromet, Inc. (Nasdaq: MITI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of next-generation antibodies for the treatment of cancer, today announced that it will host a conference call and audio webcast to review its third quarter 2011 financial results on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, at 8:30 AM ET.

To participate in the conference call, please dial 866-788-0540 (domestic) or 857-350-1678 (international) and reference the access code 68459017. The presentation will be available via webcast in the Investors and Media section of the Micromet website at www.micromet.com.

A replay of the call will be available from 11:30 AM ET on November 8, 2011 until midnight ET on November 15, 2011. To access the replay, please dial 888-286-8010 (domestic) or 617-801-6888 (international) and reference the access code 24160187. The archived webcast will be available for 30 days at www.micromet.com.

About Micromet, Inc.

Micromet is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. The Company is advancing a robust pipeline of novel therapeutics based on its proprietary BiTE® technology. The Company's lead product candidate blinatumomab (MT103) is currently the subject of a European pivotal trial in patients with minimal residual disease positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Micromet has collaborations with a number of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Amgen, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, MedImmune, Nycomed and Sanofi. For additional information, please visit www.micromet.com

CONTACT:

Micromet, Inc.
Jennifer Neiman
Director, Corporate Communications
240-235-0246
jennifer.neiman@micromet.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Maryland

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Biotechnology Oncology Pharmaceutical Professional Services Finance Research Science

MEDIA: