Amgen to Participate in Cancer Symptom Research Project

Amgen Inc. has partnered with four government agencies and universities to launch a program aimed at helping cancer patients better manage their symptoms, the Thousand Oaks biotech announced Wednesday. The program, titled LAUNCH (Linking & Amplifying User-Centered Networks through Connected Health), will initially focus on serving patients in underserved populations in rural Kentucky before potentially expanding nationwide. The National Cancer Institute, Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Health Task Force, University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center and University of California – San Diego Design Lab will collaborate on the program. “Amgen is excited to be a part of this multi-partner collaboration that taps into the expertise of many cross-functional partners who all have a shared goal of improved cancer outcomes,” Dr. Peter Juhn, Amgen’s vice president of global value-based partnerships, said in a statement. “What sets this project apart is that we will bring together human-centered design and digital health technologies, enabled by better connectivity, to help improve cancer outcomes through better symptom management.” Shares of Amgen (AMGN) closed Thursday down $1.98, or 1.1 percent, to $177.96 on the Nasdaq.