Amgen, Inc.

A. Company Profile

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) is one of the world's leading biotech companies. The company's product portfolio includes innovative treatments across a wide range of therapeutic areas. There are extensive discovery and development programs in the field of oncology at Amgen.

B. Products

1. AMG-102

AMG 102 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets the action of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). HGF/SF signaling, through its receptor c-Met, appears to play an important role in many types of human cancers.

2. AMG-386

AMG 386 is a recombinant Fc-peptide fusion protein (peptibody) targeting angiopoietins. AMG 386 is designed to bind angiopoietins 1 and 2, thereby inhibiting Tie2 dependent stimulation of endothelial cells. Angiopoietins, together with vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), are key cytokines that regulate neovascularization.

3. AMG-479

AMG 479 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor without cross-reacting with the closely related insulin receptor.

4. AMG-655

AMG 655 is a fully human monoclonal antibody agonist directed against Death Receptor 5 (DR5). AMG 655 is designed to activate caspases and induces apoptosis in sensitive tumor cells.

5. Aranesp

Aranesp (Darbepoetin alfa) is the next-generation erythropoietic molecule. With 2 additional N-linked carbohydrate chains, Aranesp contains more sialic acid than Epoetin alfa. Aranesp has an approximately 3-fold longer half-life than Epoetin alfa, which leads to greater biological activity. This allows for an early and sustained erythropoietic effect and less-frequent dosing than Epoetin alfa.

6. Denosumab

Denosumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), a key mediator of the cells responsible for bone breakdown. Denosumab is being studied across a range of conditions, including osteoporosis, treatment-induced bone loss, bone metastases, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple myeloma.

7. Kepivance

Kepivance (Palifermin) is a recombinant protein that mimic the activity of endogenous keratinocyte growth factor (KGF). Growth factors are natural substances produced by the body that stimulate activity of specific cells, and KGF is a type of growth factor that stimulates the activity of epithelial cells. Epithelial cells comprise a large portion of total cells that line and protect the oral mucosa. Therefore, the stimulation and growth of epithelial cells through KGF is a feasible target in the management of oral mucositis.

8. Motesanib diphosphate

Motesanib diphosphate is a highly selective, oral agent that is being evaluated for its ability to inhibit angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2 and 3 (VEGFR1-3). It is also under investigation for its potential direct anti-tumor activity by targeting platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and stem cell factor receptor (c-kit) signaling, which may also confer direct anti-tumor activity.

9. Neulasta

Neulasta (Pegfilgrastim) is a covalent conjugate of recombinant methionyl human G-CSF (Filgrastim) and monomethoxypoly-ethylene glycol. Filgrastim is a water-soluble 175 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of approximately 19 kilodaltons (kd). Filgrastim is obtained from the bacterial fermentation of a strain of Escherichia coli transformed with a genetically engineered plasmid containing the human G-CSF gene. To produce pegfilgrastim, a 20 kd monomethoxypolyethylene glycol molecule is covalently bound to the N-terminal methionyl residue of Filgrastim. The average molecular weight of pegfilgrastim is approximately 39 kd.

10. Neupogen

Neupogen (Filgrastim) is a human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), produced by recombinant DNA technology. Colony-stimulating factors are glycoproteins which act on hematopoietic cells by binding to specific cell surface receptors and stimulating proliferation, differentiation commitment, and some end-cell functional activation.

11. rhApo2L/TRAIL

rhApo2L/TRAIL is a soluble recombinant human protein that targets the pro-apoptotic death receptors DR4 and DR5, which are involved in the regulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death).