Amgen’s mission is to serve patients, and that includes providing accurate information about diseases and medicines.

Responsible direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising can play a role in increasing awareness about diseases, educating patients about treatment options, and fostering dialogue between patients and their healthcare providers.

Amgen conducts DTC advertising only after physicians are sufficiently experienced with a product. Amgen proactively informs physicians of our intent to conduct DTC at least 30 days prior to DTC launch. In our product advertising, we present risk information prominently, clearly and in simple consumer language. We test our advertising to ensure both our benefit and risk messages are successfully communicated.

In addition, Amgen has voluntarily adopted the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) strengthened Guiding Principles on Direct to Consumer Advertisements about Prescription Medicines. PhRMA’s DTC guidelines originally went into effect in January 2006 and were updated in December 2008, with changes going into effect March 2009. For more information or to read the PhRMA Guiding Principles, please visit the PhRMA website.

DTC is only part of Amgen’s patient education effort. Amgen has long served patients, physicians, and communities by supporting health education programs singularly or with partnerships with patient advocacy groups or healthcare providers.