THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced appointments to its Board of Directors.  Robert A. Bradway, chief executive officer, has been appointed chairman of the Board, and Vance D. Coffman, an Amgen director since 2007, has been appointed lead independent director, both effective on Jan. 1, 2013. As previously announced, Kevin W. Sharer is retiring from the Board, effective Dec. 31, 2012.

"On behalf of the Board and all of Amgen, we look forward to Vance Coffman's continued contributions as the new lead independent director," said Bradway, "and we thank Kevin Sharer for his 20 years of dedicated service and his contributions to the company and the patients we serve."

Robert A. Bradway

Mr. Bradway, 49, has served as Amgen's Chief Executive Officer since May 2012 and was appointed to the Amgen Board of Directors in October 2011. He joined the company in 2006 as Vice President, Operations Strategy, and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2007 to 2010. Prior to joining Amgen, Mr. Bradway was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley. Mr. Bradway holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Amherst College and a Masters in Business Administration degree from Harvard University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Norfolk Southern Corporation.

Vance D. Coffman

Dr. Coffman, 68, has served as a director of the Company since October 2007. Dr. Coffman served in various executive capacities at Lockheed Martin Corporation, a high technology aerospace and defense company. He served as Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from 1997, as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from 1998 until 2004, and as Chairman of the Board until 2005. He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Astronautical Society. He is also a director of 3M Company and Deere & Company.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. Follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Ashleigh Koss, 805-313-6151 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

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SOURCE Amgen