Amgen named FORBES’ Company of the Year

Amgen, the Thousand Oaks biotech giant, was named FORBES’ Company of the Year for 2004 in the magazine’s January issue. Amgen has made billions of dollars selling drugs to treat anemia and cancer. However, the magazine said, Amgen is close to developing drugs to treat a much broader range of diseases. Amgen has 40 drugs in preclinical or patient trials, the article goes on to say, whereas in the early 90s it had only 22. Amgen Chief Executive Kevin Sharer told the magazine that the 25-year-old biotech company is similar to a teenager, its best years are yet to come.