Amgen 2004 Annual Report Download - page 27

6. Close collaborative partnership across all the
functions in the company. This could be the biggest
challenge. Interaction among science, medicine,
regulatory, manufacturing, marketing, intellectual
property, fi nance and more must be seamless.
Functional goals, personal differences and inconsistent
priorities all must be overcome. Innovation cannot be
systemized, but takes human, personal collaboration.
7. Nimbleness. We live in a competitive world and
face hundreds of capable potential competitors. We
must be nimble to win. Nimbleness means recognizing
an opportunity before others, moving fast and
effectively to pursue it, and being willing to take a
chance. Competing intensely and winning is one
of our core values. Remaining hungry and feeling
small help fuel and sustain this defi ning spark.
8. Access to and skill in employing a broad range
of technologies while being alert to how best to
use new approaches. Over a decade ago, as the
sequencing of the human genome was proceeding,
Gordon Binder, Amgen’s second CEO, and I decided
to fund the development of a small-molecule capability
to complement our large-molecule expertise. This
work is now largely done and we are one of the
few companies, if not the only one, with access to
and deep skill in employing multiple therapeutic
modalities. Fitting the modality
— large molecule,
antibody, small molecule
— to the target is a core
advantage for Amgen.
9. A focus on patients, physicians, providers and
payers and sensitivity to their needs. Bringing a
product to market is diffi cult. Making sure the
broadest and most appropriate patient population has
ready access to breakthrough medicines is increasingly
challenging. Physicians need to see, understand and
have well-founded confi dence in the data. Payers
and governments must be shown the medicine is
effective, safe and a good value. These challenges will
only grow in the future as health budgets are squeezed
and society becomes even more demanding of us.
10. A decision-making process that is rigorous,
decisive, participative, transparent, timely and
effective. The amount of data, range of decisions,
complexity and number of players in drug develop-
ment is staggering. We make fact-based decisions,
but judgment and good instincts are in the mix too.
How can we be thorough and thoughtful while
avoiding bureaucracy and gridlock? Making the hard
decisions to stop after a decade of effort are some-
times the hardest calls. No one has the defi nitive
answer to the appropriate innovation process, and we
struggle too. The fact that we struggle and try to get
better is a healthy sign.
The process of innovation is the central focus of
the entire company, and we all work together in
this challenging and vital effort, as we have since
we began. We are 25 years old this year. We have
much to celebrate and be thankful for, starting with
the millions of patients we have helped. This annual
report is dedicated to a giant of our company and
our industry, Dr. George B. Rathmann. George was
our founding CEO, and he built the framework for
Amgen
— a commitment to scientifi c discovery and a
passion for serving patients suffering from serious
illness. I am happy to report to George and our stock-
holders that we are still the company he founded.
Kevin W. Sharer
Chairman and Chief Executive Offi cer
March 14,2005
Amgen 2004 Annual Report page 25