Amgen, McKesson Sign Partnership for Cancer Care

Amgen Inc. and Texas-based health care supply company McKesson Corp. on Friday announced a multi-year, strategic partnership to help bridge gaps in cancer care.Ontada, McKesson’s oncology technology and business insights division, will work with the Thousand Oaks biotech giant to improve cancer care from “early clinical development to drug commercialization,” the companies said.Data gathered via Ontada’s tech platform, which monitors community oncology practices, will help identify where care needs improvement.“At Amgen, we believe that cancer patients and those who treat them deserve to have access to the latest innovations in care no matter where they live or practice,” Dr. Darryl Sleep, vice president of global medical and chief medical officer for Amgen, said in a statement. “Our ultimate goal is to help community oncologists and their teams have rapid access to the latest innovations and insights to provide the best care possible where patients need it most.”Shares of Amgen (AMGN) closed Monday up $2.76, or 1.2 percent, to $226.45 on the Nasdaq on a day when the overall Nasdaq was up nearly 3.3 percent.