Amgen, Direct Relief Partner to help cancer patients In 18 countries

The first shipments of the nearly 110,000 units of donated medicines have already reached cancer clinics in destination countries and are available to patients

Amgen and Direct Relief today announced a joint initiative in which Direct Relief will distribute $93 million worth of Amgen donated cancer treatments and supportive care medicines. This donation will provide cancer patients in 18 developing countries access to Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim), NEUPOGEN® (filgrastim) and Vectibix® (panitumumab).

Patients will access the donated medicines through Direct Relief-partner hospitals and clinics in the following countries: Armenia, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.

"Amgen's mission is to serve patients around the world. We are pleased to work with Direct Relief, an organization with a strong network of high-quality cancer hospitals and clinics across the developing world, to make these innovative cancer medicines accessible to patients in need," said Joshua Ofman, M.D., senior vice president of Global Value, Access and Policy at Amgen.

"Direct Relief is deeply appreciative to Amgen for its leadership and initiative in providing critical treatments to underserved cancer patients globally," said Thomas Tighe, president and chief executive officer of Direct Relief. "Cancer patients who would otherwise not be able to access many important therapies will be able to receive these advanced biologic medicines."

The first shipments of the nearly 110,000 units of donated medicines have already reached cancer clinics in destination countries and are available to patients. Donated medicines will serve approximately 7,400 low-income patients. Amgen and Direct Relief will continue to seek opportunities to partner in the future to bring innovative biologics to patients in need.

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