Amgen 2002 Annual Report Download - page 18

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Page 16
challenge Competition is raising the bar for commercially
successful therapeutics. Effectiveness and safety are the primary criteria,
but cost and relative efficacy also play crucial roles. Amgen is using its
formidable capabilities in basic research and clinical investigation to enhance
the value of its product line through better treatment options.
chronic kidney disease
Amgen launched EPOGEN
®
(Epoetin alfa), one of the first biologically derived human
therapeutics, into the medical marketplace 13 years ago, bringing immediate improvements
for end-stage renal disease patients.
The story of EPOGEN
®
and its ability to restore the vitality of dialysis patients struggling with
the chronic anemia caused by their kidney disease is emblematic of the revolutionary impact
biotechnology can have on medical treatment.
EPOGEN
®
is a recombinant protein with the same mechanism of action as endogenous human
erythropoietin, a protein produced by the kidneys to stimulate the production of
oxygen-transporting red blood cells. Patients with end-stage renal disease do not produce
adequate amounts of erythropoietin and consequently suffer from the energy-draining signs
and symptoms of chronic anemia.
Approximately 300,000 dialysis patients in the United States regularly receive EPOGEN
®
therapy. Hundreds of thousands more in countries around the world also benefit from
Amgen’s discovery, receiving Epoetin alfa therapy under licensing agreements with other
therapeutic manufacturers.