Amgen 2001 Annual Report Download - page 13

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action as human erythropoietin, a natu-
rally occurring protein produced by the
kidneys to stimulate the production of
red blood cells. Patients with end-stage
renal disease cannot produce erythropoi-
etin adequately. Before the development
of EPOGEN
®
,many of these patients
suffered from chronic anemia and could
not maintain vitality without regular
blood transfusions. Today, more than
200,000 dialysis patients in the United
States receive EPOGEN
®
therapy.
Since launching EPOGEN
®
,Amgen has
worked diligently, in concert with renal
health care professionals, to improve
the lives of patients suffering from
chronic renal failure. A long-time advo-
cate of the National Kidney Foundation
and its programs, Amgen supports the
foundation’s revised Kidney Disease
Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines,
which broaden the treatment of kidney
disease to encompass its early stages. The
company also provides support for the
International Dialysis Outcomes Practice
Patterns Study, a worldwide initiative
designed to identify and communicate
best practices in dialysis care to improve
patient morbidity and mortality.
More recently, Amgen launched an
educational initiative with nephrologists
(doctors who treat kidney-related illness)
to help them identify and manage anemia
as early as possible in patients suffering
from chronic renal failure.
Anemia
Amgen last year sought
and received approval in
the United States, Europe,
Australia, and New Zealand
for its newest anemia thera-
peutic, Aranesp
™
, in the treat-
ment of anemia associated
with chronic renal failure.
11