Top 10 Biotech Companies To Own For 2016

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Own For 2016: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Amgen Inc., a biotechnology medicines company, discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets human therapeutics based on advances in cellular and molecular biology for grievous illnesses primarily in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company markets recombinant protein therapeutics in supportive cancer care, nephrology, and inflammation. Its principal products include Aranesp and EPOGEN erythropoietic-stimulating agents that stimulate the production of red blood cells; Neulasta and NEUPOGEN to stimulate the production of neutrophils, which is a type of white blood cell that helps the body to fight infections; and Enbrel, an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor that plays a role in the body?s response to inflammatory diseases. The company also markets other products comprising Sensipar/Mimpara, a small molecule calcimimetic that lowers serum calcium levels; Vectibix, a monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to the epidermal growth factor receptor; and Nplate, a thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonist that mimics endogenous TPO, the primary driver of platelet production. In addition, it provides Denosumab, a human monoclonal antibody that targets RANKL, an essential regulator of osteoclasts. Further, the company offers product candidates in mid-to-late stage development in a variety of therapeutic areas, including oncology, hematology, inflammation, bone, nephrology, cardiovascular, and general medicine consisting of neurology. It markets its products to healthcare providers, including physicians or their clinics, dialysis centers, hospitals, and pharmacies; consumers; and wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products. The company has various collaborative arrangements with Pfizer Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline plc; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited; Array BioPharma Inc.; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd.; and C! ytokinetics, Inc. Amgen Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap cancer drug stock Kite Pharma Inc (NASDAQ: KITE) has surged after announcing a strategic research collaboration and license agreement with Amgen, Inc (NASDAQ: AMGN) involving Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CAR) – meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock, which had an IPO last June, along with potential peers Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: BLCM) and Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: JUNO) which are players in the CAR therapies space and had more recent IPOs.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  What makes this latest failure particularly noteworthy is that it added to the growing skepticism in the industry about the future of cancer vaccines in general. Despite an intensive research effort, cancer vaccines have repeatedly flopped in clinical testing, or at best, have only shown marginal benefits, when compared to other available treatments -- such as Dendreon's Provenge for prostate cancer, and Amgen's (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) T-Vec indicated for metastatic melanoma.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Given the market’s reaction, that sounds about right. Shares of Celgene have gained 1.1% to $117.74 at 2:28 p.m. today, just about in line with the gains in other big biotech companies. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) has risen 1% to $428.20, Amgen (AMGN) has advanced 1.1% to $170.34 and Biogen Idec (BIIB) is up 1.5% at $359.11.

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Schoenebaum also writes that today's study results bode well for other typed of cholesterol-lowering drugs now in R&D pipelines, namely the PCKSK9 inhibitors being developed by Amgen (AMGN), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) and Pfizer (PFE).

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-biotech-companies-to-own-for-2016.h! tml