Content about Amgen

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Amgen is buying an Iceland-based biotech company for $415 million, the two said Monday.

Amgen announced it would acquire DeCode Genetics, based in Reykjavik, Iceland, in a deal that Amgen's board of directors unanimously approved. Founded in 1996, DeCode focuses its business on finding links between the human genome and disease susceptibility. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of 2012 and does not require regulatory approval.

HOLZKIRCHEN, Germany — Generic drug maker Sandoz has started a late-stage clinical trial in the United States for a biosimilar treatment for anemia, the company said.

Sandoz, the generics arm of Swiss drug maker Novartis, said it had started enrolling patients for a phase-3 study of epoetin alfa, a biosimilar version of Epogen and Procrit, made by Amgen and Johnson & Johnson and used to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

JERUSALEM — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a biosimilar drug made by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries for a condition that results from certain chemotherapy treatments, the drug maker said Thursday.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Biotech drug maker Amgen has joined the list of companies offering testimony at a Food and Drug Administration hearing on biosimilars Friday.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Biotech drug maker Amgen is buying a pharmaceutical company based in Turkey, the companies said Wednesday.

Amgen said it would acquire 95.6% of Istanbul-based Mustafa Nevzat for $700 million in an all-cash deal, saying the purchase would allow it to expand in Turkey and the surrounding region. The company, also known as MN, is a major supplier of injectable drugs in Turkey and, increasingly, an exporter of medicines.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Biotech manufacturer Amgen will acquire the private South San Francisco, Calif.-based drug developer Kai Pharmaceuticals for $315 million, the companies said Tuesday.

The deal includes the acquisition of KAI-4169, an experimental drug Kai is developing for secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis. Amgen has provided a loan to fund phase-3 clinical studies of the drug and will acquire rights to it worldwide, except for Japan.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — One analysis report after another seems to confirm that the generic drug market is in for a huge shift as the number of blockbuster drugs losing patent protection is set to dwindle over the next several years. A recent report by Frost & Sullivan seems to confirm that sentiment.

HOLZKIRCHEN, Germany — Drug maker Sandoz has started two late-stage clinical trials of biosimilar drugs for treating cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, the company said Thursday, saying the studies were meant to support the drugs' eventual marketing in the United States.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Drug maker Amgen will discuss the supplemental biologics license application of Xgeva before a Food and Drug Administration review panel next month.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Prescribers, patients and specialty care centers no longer will be required to enroll in safety monitoring programs for two drugs used to treat low platelet counts, following changes to their risk evaluation and mitigation strategies.

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — A drug maker that focuses on treatments for hemophilia has named a new CEO.

Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals announced Tuesday the appointment of John Butler as chief executive officer. Butler replaces Michael Griffith, who is taking the role of chief scientific officer while retaining the title of president.

It’s hard to disagree that generic drug companies have had a good run for the last several years. Branded drug companies developed a large number of drugs that proved highly effective at treating widespread medical conditions and became blockbusters, garnering billions of dollars in sales in the United States alone. As patents on these blockbuster drugs have expired, they’ve provided generic manufacturers with enormous revenues, helping some to join the ranks of the world’s biggest drug companies.