Amgen is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, CA and was originally founded in 1980 as AMGen (Applied Molecular Genetics). Renamed Amgen in 1983, Amgen has been an innovator in identification, isolation, production and use of human proteins as therapeutic agents.

In 2002, Amgen acquired Immunex Corporation and with it the biologic Enbrel, which was the world's top selling biologic drug in 2005.

Amgen has research programs in inflammation, metabolic disorders and
osteoporosis, neuroscience, oncology and hematology.

The company's leading products are:

Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa). Aranesp is prescribed for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease and chemotherapy.

Enbrel (etanercept). Enbrel is prescribed for the treatment of moderately-to-
severely-active rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular-course juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis
of the spine), and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults.

Epogen (epoetin alfa). Epogen is prescribed for the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis.

Kepivance (palifermin). Kepivance is prescribed to decrease the incidence and duration of severe oral mucositis (mouth sores) in patients with hematologic (blood) cancers who are undergoing high-dose chemotherapy,
with or without radiation, followed by bone marrow transplant.

Neupogen (Filgrastim). Neupogen is prescribed to reduce the risk of infection (initially marked by fever) in certain cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy that could decrease their number of infection-fighting white blood cells.

Neulasta (Filgrastim). Neulasta is a longer acting form of Neupogen (see above) that requires only one injection per chemotherapy cycle.

Sensipar (cinacalcet). Sensipar is an oral therapy prescribed to treat hyperparathyroidism (excessive levels of parathyroid hormone) caused by chronic kidney disease; it is approved for use in patients who are receiving dialysis. It is also indicated to treat elevated calcium levels in patients with malignant tumors of the parathyroid gland.

*Information above taken from materials provided by Amgen Inc.