THOUSAND OAKS, California, November 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen is pleased to announce that it has won the Best New Drug award for Prolia(TM) (denosumab), a novel treatment approved in the United States (U.S.) for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, at the 2010 Scrip Awards ceremony Nov. 4 in London. Named one of TIME's Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2009, Prolia is the first treatment specifically designed to target osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

In addition to its novel mechanism of action, the Scrip judges highlighted Prolia's efficacy in reducing fractures and dosing regimen. Prolia, the first and only RANK Ligand inhibitor approved in the U.S. and the European Union (EU), is an every six month subcutaneous injection.

We are honored to be recognized again by our industry peers with the Best New Drug award, said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. Only last year we were recognized by Scrip for our robust pipeline, which at the time included Prolia. This medicine is the result of more than a decade of work, beginning with Amgen's discovery of a pathway that regulates bone metabolism and culminating in this important new treatment option for patients with bone disease.

Osteoporosis is a serious, chronic disease that affects 30 percent of postmenopausal women in the EU.(i) In the U.S., one in two women over the age of 50 with postmenopausal osteoporosis will experience a fracture in her remaining lifetime.(ii) Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who have experienced a fracture are at increased risk for another fracture.(iii),(iv), (v)

The annual Scrip Awards are independently judged by a panel of senior industry experts and are given to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for their contribution to the improvement of healthcare. For more information, visit the Scrip website http://www.scripintelligence.com/awards/

About Prolia

Prolia is approved for use in the U.S., the EU, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. In the U.S., Prolia is approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, defined as a history of osteoporotic fracture, or multiple risk factors for fracture; or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy. In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, Prolia reduces the incidence of vertebral, non-vertebral and hip fractures. The U.S. prescribing information indicates Prolia should be administered by a healthcare professional.

The pivotal three-year Phase 3 Fracture REduction Evaluation of Denosumab in Osteoporosis every six Months (FREEDOM) study in 7,808 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis demonstrated that Prolia, administered as a 60mg subcutaneous injection every six months, compared with placebo at three years resulted in:(vi)

-- A 68 percent reduction in vertebral fractures (4.8 percent absolute risk reduction). The incidence of new spine fractures was 2.3 percent with Prolia vs. 7.2 percent with placebo; -- A 40 percent reduction in hip fractures (0.3 percent absolute risk reduction). The incidence of hip fractures was 0.7 percent with Prolia vs. 1.2 percent with placebo; -- A 20 percent reduction in non-vertebral fractures (1.5 percent absolute risk reduction). The incidence of non-spine fractures was 6.5 percent with Prolia vs. 8 percent with placebo; -- Significant bone density increases at all key sites measured (8.8 percent at the lumbar spine, 6.4 percent at the total hip, and 5.2 percent at the femoral neck).

In the EU, Prolia is approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at increased risk of fractures, and for the treatment of bone loss associated with hormone ablation in men with prostate cancer at increased risk of fractures. Prolia is also the first and only product approved in the EU for the treatment of bone loss associated with hormone ablation in men with prostate cancer at increased risk of fractures.

Important U.S. Prolia Safety Information

Prolia is contraindicated in patients with hypocalcemia. Pre-existing hypocalcemia must be corrected prior to initiating Prolia. Hypocalcemia may worsen, especially in patients with severe renal impairment. All patients should be adequately supplemented with calcium and vitamin D.

In the pivotal study, serious infections leading to hospitalizations were reported more frequently in the Prolia-treated patient group. Serious skin infections, as well as infections of the abdomen, urinary tract and ear, were more frequent in patients treated with Prolia. Patients should be advised to seek prompt medical attention if they develop signs or symptoms of severe infection, including cellulitis. Endocarditis was reported more frequently in the Prolia-treated patient group. Epidermal and dermal adverse events such as dermatitis, rashes, and eczema have been reported. Discontinuation of Prolia should be considered if severe symptoms develop.

Prolia resulted in significant suppression of bone remodeling. The significance of these findings is unknown. The long-term consequences of the degree of suppression of bone remodeling observed with Prolia may contribute to adverse outcomes such as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), atypical fractures, and delayed fracture healing. ONJ has been reported in patients with Prolia. Patients should be monitored for these adverse outcomes. The most common adverse reactions ( 5 percent and more common than placebo) were back pain, pain in extremity, musculoskeletal pain, hypercholesterolemia, and cystitis. Pancreatitis has also been reported with Prolia.

Important EU Safety Information

The most common adverse reactions with Prolia were urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, sciatica, cataracts, constipation, rash, pain in extremity. The most serious adverse reactions were those of skin infections, predominantly cellulitis, reported more commonly in the Prolia group compared with placebo (0.4 percent vs. 0.1 percent) in postmenopausal osteoporosis studies. In breast and prostate cancer studies, serious adverse reactions of skin infection were similar in the Prolia and placebo groups (0.6 percent vs. 0.6 percent). In the Phase 3 placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with prostate cancer receiving ADT, an imbalance in cataract adverse events was observed with Prolia compared with placebo (4.7 percent vs. 1.2 percent placebo). No imbalance in cataract adverse events was observed in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or in women undergoing aromatase inhibitor therapy for nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Prolia is administered as a single subcutaneous injection of 60mg once every six months. For further information on Prolia, please visit: www.prolia.com.

About Denosumab Collaborations

In July 2009, Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced a collaboration agreement to jointly commercialize Prolia for postmenopausal osteoporosis in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico once the product is approved in these countries. Amgen will commercialize Prolia's postmenopausal osteoporosis and potential oncology indications in the U.S. and Canada and for all oncology indications in Europe and in other specified markets.

In addition, GlaxoSmithKline will register and commercialize denosumab for all indications in countries where Amgen does not currently have a commercial presence, including China, Brazil, India and South Korea but excluding Japan. The structure of the collaboration allows Amgen the option of an expanded role in commercialization in both Europe and certain emerging markets in the future.

Amgen and Daiichi-Sankyo Company Limited have a collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of denosumab in Japan.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit http://www.amgen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

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CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Sarah Reines: +1-805-447-5476 (media) Arvind Sood: +1-805-447-1060 (investors)

(i) International Osteoporosis Foundation. Epidemiology. Accessed at http://www.iofbonehealth.org/health-professionals/about-osteoporosis/epi... on 28 October 2010.

(ii) National Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis Fast Facts. Washington (DC): Accessed at http://www.nof.org/node/40 on 28 October 2010.

(iii) Kanis JA et al. A Meta-Analysis of Previous Fracture and Subsequent Fracture Risk. Bone. 2004;35(2):375-82.

(iv) Lindsay R et al. Risk of new vertebral fracture in the year following a fracture. JAMA. 2001 Jan 17;285(3):320-3.

(v) Klotzbuecher CM et al. Patients with prior fractures have an increased risk of future fractures: a summary of the literature and statistical synthesis. J Bone Miner Res. 2000 Apr;15(4):721-39.

(vi) Cummings SR et al. Denosumab for Prevention of Fractures in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis. N Engl J Med. 2009; 361(8):756-65.

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SOURCE: Amgen

CONTACT: media, Sarah Reines, +1-805-447-5476, or investors, Arvind Sood,+1-805-447-1060, both of Amgen, Thousand Oaks