As a company formed with venture capital funding more than 25 years ago, we understand the challenges faced by early-stage biotechnology companies. In 2004, we announced the formation of Amgen Ventures, our corporate venture capital fund. With an initial investment of $100 million, the fund is designed to provide emerging biotechnology companies with resources to develop pioneering discoveries focused on human therapeutics. Amgen Ventures reflects Amgen's commitment to helping patients by transforming cutting-edge scientific discoveries into novel treatments for serious illness.

As an important component of Amgen’s overall outreach strategy, Amgen Ventures invests in early-stage biotechnology companies focused on discovering and developing human therapeutics. The fund, which focuses primarily on areas of current therapeutic interest to Amgen, offers early-stage companies access to our extensive capabilities while providing us with insight into external research innovations that may pave the way for future collaborations.

Amgen Ventures, based in San Diego, also leverages existing Amgen sites, including Seattle, San Francisco, Thousand Oaks, and Boston.

Amgen Ventures funds early-stage companies developing human therapeutics. While the fund’s focus is primarily in areas of current therapeutic interest to Amgen, we also seek out novel modalities with the potential to address targets in both current and emerging therapeutic areas of interest. The fund also considers important technology breakthroughs that may provide the opportunity to advance the creation of human therapeutics.

Investments are made on a case-by-case basis, but Amgen Ventures typically invests up to $1 to 3 million per company per round. Amgen Ventures ownership is most often less than 15 percent.

Therapeutic areas of focus for Amgen include: Oncology, Inflammation, Hematology/Nephrology, Metabolic Disorders, Neuroscience and Cardiovascular.

Questions or submissions should be e-mailed to: amgenventures@amgen.com.