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If successful, Amgen would claim ownership of all antibodies that inhibit the PCSK9 protein, the mechanism of action for both Repatha and Praluent. Other companies could then do the same with their own antibody treatments in other disease areas. The case might also affect newer technologies used in medicine, such as CRISPR gene editing and messenger RNA, she said. A Washington, D.C.-based federal appeals court that covers U.S. patent cases invalidated Amgen's patent claiming ownership of all PCSK9 inhibitors as a whole in 2021. Amgen sued Sanofi and Regeneron in 2014.

☆ Nvidia turns to AI cloud rental to spread new technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Huang said Nvidia was also working with Microsoft and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) to offer its supercomputers, used to create new AI products, as a service. Nvidia's new rental service, called DGX Cloud, could give many more developers the chance to access tens of thousands of its chips at once. Biotech firm Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) and software firm ServiceNow Inc (NOW.N) have started using the service, Nvidia said. Nvidia also launched a service called AI Foundations to help companies train their customized artificial intelligence models. Nvidia said it was working with ASML Holding (ASML.AS), Synopsys Inc (SNPS.O) and TSMC to bring it to market.

☆ Amgen to cut 450 jobs in second round of layoffs this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 16 (Reuters) - Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) said on Thursday it would cut 450 jobs, or less than 2% of its workforce, making it the company's second round of layoffs this year amid intensifying pressure on drug prices and high inflation. "We made these changes to realign our expense base in the face of intensifying pressure on drug prices and high levels of inflation," a company spokeswoman said in a statement to Reuters. Layoffs by U.S. companies over January and February this year touched the highest since 2009, a report showed. The biotech company forecasted 2023 revenue in a range of $26 billion to $27.2 billion, while analysts had estimated $27.17 billion. Reporting by Akanksha Khushi and Deena Beasley; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Amgen Inc FollowMarch 14 (Reuters) - Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) has been sued in a proposed class action accusing the drugmaker of waiting too long to tell investors it might owe the Internal Revenue Service $10.7 billion in taxes and penalties. In a complaint filed on Monday night in Manhattan federal court, a Detroit-based pension fund said Amgen artificially inflated its stock price by concealing the dispute over its international tax strategy between July 2020 and April 2022. Though Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, it is considered a foreign country for corporate tax purposes. 149 Pension Fund, said Amgen's share price fell 6.5% on Aug. 4, 2021, and 4.3% on April 28, 2022, because the company waited until those dates to disclose its potential liabilities. 149 Pension Fund v. Amgen Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ New Drugs Are Coming to Market at Sky-High Prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Peter Loftus | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A new Amgen Inc. lung-cancer treatment, Lumakras, carried a hefty price tag when it came out in 2021: $17,900 per patient monthly. Just over a year later, in December 2022, a second drug for the same type of cancer, Krazati from Mirati Therapeutics Inc., had an even higher price: $19,750 a month—a 10% premium.

Stabilization of Humira sales after the initial erosion, coupled with strong growth of its newer drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq for autoimmune disorders, could provide a floor to its earnings in 2024. "Now it's a question of what will the volume erosion look like?" In the fourth quarter, Humira sales dropped 26.5% to $573 million in international markets such as Europe, where it already faces competition from multiple less expensive versions. Overall, Humira sales rose 4.6% to $5.58 billion, in line with estimates, lifted by growth in the U.S. market. Excluding items, AbbVie earned $3.60 per share in the fourth quarter, beating analysts' average estimates by 4 cents.

☆ AbbVie's 2023 profit forecast misses as Humira faces heat from rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Most analysts are expecting the stock to be driven by management's comments on Humira sales this year during the investor conference call. AbbVie's weak forecast suggests that Humira rivals could nibble away at the blockbuster drug's market share at a faster pace this year than analysts' projections. In the fourth quarter, Humira sales dropped 26.5% to $573 million in international markets such as Europe, where it already faces competition from multiple cheaper versions. Overall, Humira sales rose 4.6% to $5.58 billion, in line with estimates, lifted by growth in the U.S. market. Excluding items, AbbVie earned $3.60 per share in the fourth quarter, beating analysts' average estimates of $3.56 per share.

The Fed is widely seen as raising its target interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point in its first policy meeting of the year, after rapid increases in 2022 to tame decades-high inflation. That's the Fed's issue as they finish up their two-day policy meeting today," Turnquist added. All of the 11 major sectors on the S&P 500 were down, with technology shares (.SPLRCT) falling the least. Seventy percent of the 200 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported fourth-quarter earnings have topped Wall Street expectations. Analysts now see earnings of S&P 500 firms declining 2.4% for the quarter, per Refinitiv estimates.

Investors will also parse Chair Jerome Powell's news conference for clues on the trajectory of future rate hikes. All of the 11 major sectors on the S&P 500 were down, with the technology shares (.SPLRCT) falling the least. Dow component Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) slipped 3.7% as the drugmaker said its fourth-quarter revenue fell slightly. With nearly 200 companies in the S&P 500 having reported fourth-quarter earnings, about 70% have topped Wall Street expectations. Analysts now see earnings of S&P 500 firms declining 2.4% for the quarter, per Refinitiv estimates.

Investors will also parse Chair Jerome Powell news conference for clues on the trajectory of future rate hikes. Meanwhile, the ADP National Employment report showed that private payrolls increased by 106,000 in January, lower than expectations of 178,000 additions. Snap Inc (SNAP.N) tumbled 12.5% after the social media company said it expects current-quarter revenue to decline by as much as 10%. ET, Dow e-minis were down 138 points, or 0.4%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 9.75 points, or 0.24%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 8.25 points, or 0.07%. Dow Jones Industrial Average component (.DJI) Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) dipped 0.6% as the drugmaker said its fourth-quarter revenue fell slightly.

☆ Blockbuster Arthritis Drug Humira Faces Competition From First Lower-Price Copycat in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jared S. Hopkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Humira, which treats rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases, accounts for about a third of AbbVie’s sales. AbbVie Inc.’s arthritis therapy Humira is set to face its first competition in the U.S. from a near-identical copycat, the end of the exclusive run of what was for years the country’s biggest-selling drug. After two decades of patent protection and more than $135 billion in U.S. sales, Humira will contend with the near-identical version from Amgen Inc. starting Tuesday, Amgen said. Other Humira copycats are due to become available later this year.

☆ Drugmaker Amgen lays off 300 U.S. employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) said on Monday that it let go about 300 U.S. employees or about 1.2% of its total workforce, citing recent organizational changes to its commercial team. The company had about 24,200 staff members in over 50 countries, as of December 31, 2021, according to its latest annual regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Big Tech firms and Wall Street titans have led a string of layoffs across corporate America in recent weeks. Amgen's move to trim its workforce shows how rapid interest rate hikes and a fading boom in demand post pandemic has begun to weigh on the healthcare sector. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ When Executives Stop Selling Stock, a Big Deal Might Be Ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Ben Dummett | Julie Steinberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Amgen’s $28 billion bid for a smaller drugmaker was preceded by a pause in insider trading at the target company. Investors learned of Amgen Inc.’s $28 billion bid for Horizon Therapeutics PLC in December. But a clue to a potential deal emerged months earlier, when insiders in the target company stopped selling stock. The halt to stock sales by executives and directors at Horizon has been mirrored at some other big companies involved in recent deal making. The pattern shows why some hedge funds and other investors scrutinize activity by corporate insiders in the hope of identifying candidates for mergers and acquisitions, generating outsize gains in the process.

☆ Drug companies favor biotech meds over pills, citing new U.S. law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The pharmaceutical industry, whose members gathered in the thousands this week in San Francisco for the annual JP Morgan Healthcare conference, opposed the legislation and has begun implementing strategies to mitigate its impact. "In 10 years, we'll have far fewer small molecules being developed than we do today." He questioned the benefit of "rules that really just disincentivize investment in what ends up being convenient drugs, drugs for tough conditions like cancer and drugs that get really cheap when they go generic." Most medicines on the market today are small molecules, which can be taken by mouth, absorbed into the bloodstream and easily penetrate cell membranes. He noted it is not unusual for pharmaceutical companies to choose not to pursue a drug they once thought promising.

Amgen gains several approved drugs through the deal, a bulwark against rising competition for its blockbuster arthritis drug, Enbrel, from newer treatments. Sales of Amgen's Enbrel tumbled 14% in the latest reported quarter to $1.1 billion, extending a run of downbeat performances. The Horizon bid follows Amgen's $3.7 billion deal in August for rare blood vessel inflammation treatment maker ChemoCentryx Inc . The offer values Horizon at $27.8 billion on a fully diluted basis, according to the company, which includes ordinary shares to be vested. Based on Reuters calculations, it values Horizon at about $26 billion and gives Horizon a $28.3 billion valuation, including debt.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 7, 2022. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) rose 2% following the tech giant's deal to buy a 4% stake in the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG.L), powering much of Wall Street's gains. The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) looked to rebound from its worst weekly performance since late September, sparked by dour comments from top U.S. executives and mixed economic data. Fears of an economic downturn have hammered Wall Street's main indexes this year, with the Nasdaq (.IXIC) and the S&P 500 down 29.4% and 17%, respectively. Eight out of the 11 major S&P sector indexes were in the green, led by energy (.SPNY), utilities (.SPLRCU) and technology stocks (.SPLRCT).

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 7, 2022. Wall Street's main indexes have slumped this year on fears of aggressive rate hikes triggering a U.S. recession. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 (.SPX) have fallen 29.5% and 17.2%, respectively, so far in 2022 and are on track for their worst yearly performance since 2008. Seven out of the 11 major S&P 500 sector indexes were in the green, led by energy (.SPNY) and technology stocks (.SPLRCT). The S&P index recorded no new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 29 new highs and 136 new lows.

Wall Street's main indexes have slumped this year on fears of aggressive rate hikes triggering a U.S. recession. ET, Dow e-minis were up 81 points, or 0.24%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.75 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 34.25 points, or 0.3%. Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) lost 2.7% after Wells Fargo downgraded its rating on the smartphone chipmaker's stock to "underweight" from "equal weight". Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O) lost 1.2% after the company paused its partnership discussions with Mercedes-Benz Vans on electric van production in Europe. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Ankika Biswas and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures rise ahead of CPI data, Fed rate decision in focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.22%, S&P 0.29%, Nasdaq 0.34%Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Monday ahead of monthly consumer inflation data, while investors braced for the Federal Reserve meeting later this week. The Nasdaq (.IXIC) shed 4%, and S&P 500 (.SPX) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) lost 3.4% and 2.8%, respectively. ET, Dow e-minis were up 73 points, or 0.22%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 11.25 points, or 0.29%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 39.25 points, or 0.34%. Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O) tumbled 4.3% after the company paused its partnership discussions with Mercedes-Benz Vans on electric van production in Europe. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amgen to buy Horizon Therapeutics for $26.40 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) will buy rare disease drugmaker Horizon Therapeutics Plc (HZNP.O) for $26.40 billion, it said on Monday, in its biggest deal ever that gives the biotech company access to blockbuster thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza. The offer values Horizon at $27.8 billion on a fully diluted basis, according to the company, which includes ordinary shares to be vested. Based on Reuters calculations, it values Horizon at $26.40 billion. The offer values Horizon at $28.3 billion, including debt. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that Amgen was close to acquiring Horizon after the other bidders pulled out of the race.

☆ Amgen set to buy biotech firm Horizon at $26 bln valuation - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) is set to buy biotech firm Horizon Therapeutics Plc (HZNP.O) at a valuation of about $26 billion in what would be its largest acquisition, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The report comes after French health group Sanofi (SASY.PA) said on Sunday that it no longer intends to make an offer for Horizon. Amgen and Horizon did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comments. Janssen also pulled out of the race last week, saying that it does not intend to make an offer for Horizon. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Sunday that Amgen is in advanced talks to buy Horizon.

Amgen Inc. has agreed to acquire Horizon Therapeutics PLC in an all-cash deal valued at $27.8 billion, marking the largest healthcare merger of the year. Under the terms of the deal, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, Amgen will pay $116.50 for each Horizon share owned. The offer was equal to a premium of 19.7% over the stock’s closing price Friday at $97.29.

☆ Amgen emerges frontrunner in Horizon deal as Sanofi drops bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Slideshow ( 2 images )(Reuters) -Amgen Inc is in advanced talks to buy biotech company Horizon Therapeutics Plc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, while rival bidder French health group Sanofi announced it had dropped its bid. A deal for Amgen to buy the company could be finalised by Monday assuming the talks don’t fall apart, the Journal report added. Amgen and Horizon did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comments. Sanofi said on Sunday that it was no longer in discussions with Horizon and does not intend to make an offer for it. Janssen also pulled out of the race last week saying that it does not intend to make an offer for Horizon.

☆ Sanofi Says it does not intend to make an offer for horizon, leaving Amgen as sole bidder
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO: Sanofi's logo at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, February 4, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier(Reuters) -French health group Sanofi said on Sunday that it no longer intends to make an offer for biotech company Horizon Therapeutics Plc HZNP.O, leaving Amgen Inc as the only remaining bidder. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Amgen was in advanced talks to buy Horizon. A deal could be finalised by Monday assuming the talks with Amgen don’t fall apart, the report added.

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