Amgen to open Indian office...

Outsourcing hits R+D?...

The world's largest biotechnology company Amgen will start its wholly owned local affiliate companies in Mumbai and Hong Kong before the end of 2006 to tap the Asian market for clinical trials and drug development.

Apart from conducting clinical trials in India, Amgen will conduct R&D operations, including research, pre-clinical development, data management support and statistical programming, by partnering with pharma and biotech companies in India. Currently, Amgen is in talks with some of the leading pharma and biotech companies in India and China to form alliances and collaborations to undertake drug development and clinical trial operations in the Asian region.

"In our industry, R&D is a multi-faceted effort that requires partnerships and collaboration between industry and a variety of individuals and institutions - all committed to advancing human health with the most innovative therapies. In order to conduct clinical studies and apply science and innovation to help fight serious illnesses, Amgen will partner with leading clinicians, as well as academic, healthcare, government, research and patient organisations to better serve unmet medical needs in the region" Mary Klen, associate director, Amgen informed Pharmabiz in an e-mail interview.

However, she declined to share the details of the investment and the companies Amgen is in discussions with to form collaborations and partnerships.

She said under Amgen's global clinical development strategy, the company might decide to develop in Asia any of the molecules that are currently under development in the United States and other parts of the world.

The US$ 12.4 billion Amgen, which invested about US$ 2.3 billion in R&D alone in 2005, has about 26 molecules in the phase I to III stage for the treatment of cancer, asthma, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, pain management, rheumatoid arthritis, CVD and a host of other therapeutic areas.

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