Leonard Schaeffer Joins Amgen's Board of Directors

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., March 9 -- Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN), the world's largest biotechnology company, today announced that it has appointed Leonard D. Schaeffer to its board of directors. Schaeffer is chairman and chief executive officer of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., (NYSE: WLP) the nation's second largest healthcare insurer.

"With his wealth of healthcare experience in both the corporate and government sectors, Leonard Schaeffer brings to Amgen's board of directors background and insights that will help solidify our position as the world's leading biotech company," said Kevin Sharer, Amgen's chairman and chief executive officer.

Named President and CEO of Blue Cross of California in 1986, Schaeffer is credited with converting the company to a for-profit status, creating WellPoint in 1993, which now has a market capitalization over more than $16 billion.

Schaeffer has served in the federal government as Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), now Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget of the Department of Health and Human Services. He also serves on the boards of directors of Allergan, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, The Coalition for Affordable and Quality Healthcare, American Association of Health Plans, Health Insurance Association of America, National Institute for Health Care Management, National Health Foundation and Council on Health Care Economics and Policy. Schaeffer also co-chairs the Advisory Council of Harvard Medical School's Department of Healthcare Policy, is a member of the Advisory Council of Princeton University's Department of Economics and a member of the Board of Councilors of the University of Southern California's School of Policy, Planning, and Development.

Amgen is a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets important human therapeutics based on advances in cellular and molecular biology.

CONTACT:
Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Mary Klem, (805) 447-4587 (media)
Cary Rosansky, (805) 447-1060 (investors)