Amgen wins a key approval for platelet therapy

Amgen got some much-needed good news yesterday after an FDA panel endorsed the approval of Nplate, its drug for a rare blood disorder. The expert group backed Nplate, saying that its benefits in treating chronic immune thrombocytopenia purpura, or ITP, outweighed the risks posed by the injectable drug. The market potential for Nplate, though, is limited. One analyst estimated that Nplate is likely to earn only about $117 million a year. Still, that's a plus sign after a turbulent period that's seen plenty of minuses for Amgen. Nplate is an engineered version of a protein that spurs platelet production.

- here's the release
- check out the AP report

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