Award-Winning Actress Blythe Danner and Amgen Launch Act 2 Reduce Fractures(TM) Educational Campaign

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Emmy® and Tony® award-winning actress Blythe Danner and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today launch Act 2 Reduce Fractures(TM), an educational campaign for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures. Earlier this year, Danner was diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures and wants to encourage women like her to educate themselves, take action and speak to their doctors to learn all they can about helping to strengthen their bones. The campaign is being supported by American Bone Health, the Global Healthy Living Foundation and the Older Women's League.

"When I was diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures, I started to worry about how breaking a bone could impact my ability to do the things that are most important to me such as continuing to act, being a mother to my children and even more importantly, being an active grandmother," said Danner. "So I've been working with my doctor on a plan to help strengthen my bones, and I hope my participation in this campaign will motivate women like me to do the same."

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a silent disease, and it usually has no symptoms until a fracture happens, which can be a life-changing event. There are medical and lifestyle factors that can place a woman with postmenopausal osteoporosis at an increased risk for fractures. A list of these factors can be found at http://www.act2reducefractures.com/.

Nearly 10 years ago, Danner's husband of 33 years, Bruce Paltrow, passed away. Before his passing, he was busy with film projects. Danner recalls that he didn't make taking care of himself a priority at the time. "The life lesson I learned from this is that there is nothing more important than taking care of oneself," said Danner. "I hope by sharing my personal story about having this disease that women like me will speak to their doctors about what they can do to help strengthen their bones."

"One in two women over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her lifetime," said Kathleen Cody, executive director, American Bone Health. "And many women don't proactively work with their doctors to help manage the disease and understand the factors that may increase their risk for fractures. Our goal is to encourage women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures to take action and speak to their doctors to learn all they can about helping to strengthen their bones."

"What I'm working on with my doctor is a plan that includes exercising, eating right and taking a medicine called Prolia® along with calcium and vitamin D," said Danner. "Every woman is different, and I encourage women to work with their doctors on a plan that is right for them."

About Blythe Danner

Danner has won two Emmy awards, received a Golden Globe® nomination and accepted a Tony award for her Broadway debut in "Butterflies Are Free." Her film roles include "Alice," "The Great Santini" and "Meet the Parents." Danner is the mother of son, Jake, and daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow. Among all of the characters Danner has portrayed, her most treasured role is being a grandmother (or as she prefers being called, "Lalo") to her two grandchildren.

About Prolia® (denosumab)

Prolia is the first approved therapy that specifically targets RANK Ligand, an essential regulator of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bone).

Prolia is approved in the United States (U.S.) for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, defined as a history of osteoporotic fracture, or multiple risk factors for fracture; or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy.

Prolia is administered as a single subcutaneous injection of 60mg once every six months. For further information on Prolia, including the full prescribing information and medication guide, please visit: http://www.prolia.com/.

Important U.S. Safety Information

Prolia is contraindicated in patients with hypocalcemia. Pre-existing hypocalcemia must be corrected prior to initiating Prolia. Hypocalcemia may worsen, especially in patients with severe renal impairment. All patients should be adequately supplemented with calcium and vitamin D. Patients receiving Prolia should not receive XGEVA®, as both Prolia and XGEVA contain the same active ingredient, denosumab.

In the Phase 3 pivotal study, serious infections leading to hospitalizations were reported more frequently in the Prolia-treated patient group. Serious skin infections, as well as infections of the abdomen, urinary tract and ear, were more frequent in patients treated with Prolia. Patients should be advised to seek prompt medical attention if they develop signs or symptoms of severe infection, including cellulitis. Endocarditis was reported more frequently in the Prolia-treated patient group. Epidermal and dermal adverse events such as dermatitis, rashes, and eczema have been reported. Discontinuation of Prolia should be considered if severe symptoms develop.

Prolia resulted in significant suppression of bone remodeling. The significance of these findings is unknown. The long-term consequences of the degree of suppression of bone remodeling observed with Prolia may contribute to adverse outcomes such as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), atypical fractures, and delayed fracture healing. ONJ has been reported in patients with Prolia. Patients should be monitored for these adverse outcomes. The most common adverse reactions (> 5 percent and more common than placebo) were back pain, pain in extremity, musculoskeletal pain, hypercholesterolemia, and cystitis. Pancreatitis has also been reported with Prolia.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit http://www.amgen.com/. Follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reports filed by Amgen, including Amgen's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and most recent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Please refer to Amgen's most recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K for additional information on the uncertainties and risk factors related to our business. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of Aug. 25, 2011 and expressly disclaims any duty to update information contained in this news release.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for us to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and we expect similar variability in the future. We develop product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as we may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, we or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and products liability claims. We depend on third parties for a significant portion of our manufacturing capacity for the supply of certain of our current and future products and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development.

In addition, sales of our products are affected by the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payors, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment as well as U.S. legislation affecting pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement. Government and others' regulations and reimbursement policies may affect the development, usage and pricing of our products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to some of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. We believe that some of our newer products, product candidates or new indications for existing products, may face competition when and as they are approved and marketed. Our products may compete against products that have lower prices, established reimbursement, superior performance, are easier to administer, or that are otherwise competitive with our products. In addition, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors and there can be no guarantee of our ability to obtain or maintain patent protection for our products or product candidates. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to produce commercially successful products or maintain the commercial success of our existing products. Our stock price may be affected by actual or perceived market opportunity, competitive position, and success or failure of our products or product candidates. Further, the discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations.

The scientific information discussed in this news release relating to new indications for our products is preliminary and investigative and is not part of the labeling approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the products. The products are not approved for the investigational use(s) discussed in this news release, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the products for these uses. Only the FDA can determine whether the products are safe and effective for these uses. Healthcare professionals should refer to and rely upon the FDA-approved labeling for the products, and not the information discussed in this news release.

(C) 2011 Amgen Inc. Intended for Medical Information purposes.

SOURCE Amgen