Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat, what do you think of Amgen (AMGN), and is it a buy? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Amgen Inc., $289.38, symbol AMGN on New York (Shares outstanding: 537.7 million; Market cap: $152.2 billion; www.amgen.com), is a medical biotechnology firm. The company got its start in 1980, helping to launch the biotechnology industry. Biotechnology uses biological processes and living organisms to develop technologies and therapies for a variety of applications, particularly in health. Over the past 40 years, Amgen is now one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, with 49 products, delivery devices and product candidates. Amgen has a presence in more than 100 countries, although the U.S. accounted for 72.8% of its sales in 2024. The rest of the world contributed 27.2%. The company focuses on areas of high, unmet medical needs. Its largest product by sales is Prolia, which accounted for 13.7% of 2024 sales. Prolia is used mostly to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and at higher risk of bone fractures. It also increases bone mass in men with osteoporosis. Amgen’s second bestseller is ENBREL, which accounted for 10.4% of 2024…