Amgen

Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) announced that it would purchase the San Carlos, California–based ChemoCentryx (Nasdaq:CCXI) for $52 per share in cash, which equates to a total of approximately $3.7 billion. The centerpiece of the proposed acquisition is Tavneos (avacopan), which scored FDA approval last year for the adjunctive treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. The disease…

Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) is sharpening its focus on generative biology, an emerging discipline that can accelerate protein drug discovery. The company describes generative biology as “a revolutionary approach to drug discovery and development” that enlists the help of AI and machine learning to design novel protein therapeutics. Although the term generative biology may be new, Amgen has…

The pharmaceutical industry continues to see strong growth and is poised to have a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% from 2020 to 2027, according to projections from Grand View Research. The best pharma companies to work for continue to offer a number of advantages to skilled workers. Pharma positions remain in high demand, and…

Few healthcare companies were included in the annual ranking of innovative companies from the analytics firm Clarivate plc (NYSE:CLVT). Two companies in pharma and another in medtech, however, made the cut. Johnson & Johnson was featured for the second consecutive year as a top 100 Global innovator. Roche was included for the 11th consecutive year…

A handful of big names in drug discovery and development are among the 500 “most responsible,” according to Newsweek. The outlet published its “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2022” list, marking the third installment of the compilation (in partnership with Statista), this time expanded to include 500 of the largest public corporations around. Companies were judged with an overall…

A growing number of researchers believe the pharma industry has entered a new wave of innovation involving multispecific medicines. Among them is Ray Deshaies, a biochemist and cell biologist, who is the SVP of global research at Amgen.  In 2020, Deshaies wrote an article for Nature explaining why multispecific drugs may grant access to portions of the…

Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN) has acquired privately-held immunotherapy specialist Teneobio (Newark, California). The transaction includes an upfront $900 million upfront payment and future contingent milestone payments worth up to an additional $1.6 billion. Tenebio’s stated mission was to tap human heavy-chain antibodies to “redirect the immune system to safely fight disease.” Earlier this year, it had three drug…

While biosimilar adoption remains at an early stage in the U.S., biosimilar adoption is ticking up. Biosimilar penetration for Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab) is especially high at 69%. In addition, biosimilars for Genentech’s Herceptin and Amgen’s Neupogen have also achieved a market penetration of 57% and 62%, respectively, according to IQVIA data based on late June sales data.…

Amgen and AstraZeneca have announced that the experimental monoclonal antibody tezepelumab demonstrated a clinically meaningful reduction in annualized asthma exacerbation rate (AAER) in severe, uncontrolled asthma patients. In the NAVIGATOR Phase 3 trial, the drug led to a 56% reduction in AAER versus placebo over 52 weeks when used as part of the standard of…

Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN) announced third-quarter earnings per share of $4.37, beating the consensus forecast of $3.80. Biosimilars growth and a strong base business drove growth in the quarter ending on Sept. 30. The company has been relatively steady in 2020, growing 11% in the first quarter and 6% in the second. “Our performance in the third quarter…