Amgen 2004 Annual Report Download - page 6

Aranesp®(darbepoetin alfa)
The science Amgen scientists asked what would happen if
more carbohydrates were added to the EPOGEN® molecule.
The result was Aranesp® , a new molecule for anemia treatment
with a half-life in the body that is approximately three times
longer than that of EPOGEN® .
The science doesn’t stop On the journey of scientifi c inquiry,
sometimes a single path, if followed far enough, may lead to many
milestones. Take, for example, Aranesp® , used to help combat
anemia related to chemotherapy or chronic kidney disease.
Following the launch of EPOGEN® , Amgen scientists
continued to study anemia. These studies led to the discovery,
development, and 2001 launch of Aranesp® , an anemia treatment
with a longer half-life, allowing it to circulate in the body longer.
In 2004, European health authorities approved an extended
dosing schedule for Aranesp® . In Europe, the approved dosage
schedule for anemic cancer patients receiving chemotherapy is
only once every three weeks, and for patients with chronic kidney
disease, only once per month. Previously, the approved dosing
schedule was once weekly for cancer patients and once weekly
or once every two weeks for chronic kidney disease patients.
All this is great news for patients. For people with chronic
kidney disease, though, another signifi cant foe is cardiovascular
events
— the most common cause of death in that patient
population. That’s why Amgen has initiated TREAT (Trial to
Reduce cardiovascular Events with Aranesp® Therapy), an
international, multi-year trial to evaluate whether treating anemia
in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes
may lower their risk of death or cardiovascular events such as
stroke, heart attack, or heart failure. Anemia appears to be an
independent and powerful risk factor for cardiovascular events
in such patients, but it will be several years before the TREAT
data may reveal where the path will lead next.
Emmanuel Age 29 Paris, France
Emmanuel has chronic kidney disease,
and the anemia that results from the illness
can cause extreme fatigue that interferes
with his daily activities. Recently, he began
treatment with Aranesp® to combat the
anemia. Now Emmanuel reports that he
has more energy to devote to activities
with his two young children.
Amgen 2004 Annual Report page 4