Comments on: Is The Crisis Over For Amgen’s Kevin Sharer? http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/07/is-the-crisis-over-for-amgens-kevin-sharer/ News, Comment and Conversation Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:12:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Jeffrey Clark, CEO of Beaker.com - The Online Community for Life Sciences Professionals http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/07/is-the-crisis-over-for-amgens-kevin-sharer/#comment-367993 Jeffrey Clark, CEO of Beaker.com - The Online Community for Life Sciences Professionals Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:32:15 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/?p=14833#comment-367993 For certain, Amgen needs a victory. They have been on a steady decline for quite some time in terms of financial performance, pipeline optimism and employee morale. Thousand Oaks is a different place from 4-5 years ago, just ask any of their current or former employees. However, you have to confidence in Kevin Sharer. If you've met, he is an incredibly capable leader. Annapolis-bred, IMO, he has managed the playbook for big biotech/pharma correctly (but also cautiously) since taking over as CEO. Certainly, he has not been as aggressive as some others in terms of inorganic growth, however, he also has fallen victim to the 'predictable surprises' of an underperforming R&D function that was designed to feed his company's pipeline & that would have kept Amgen in never-never land. Instead, they are struggling to get people to stop talking about Genentech & remember that 'other CA biotech company' just north of Los Angeles. For certain, Amgen needs a victory. They have been on a steady decline for quite some time in terms of financial performance, pipeline optimism and employee morale. Thousand Oaks is a different place from 4-5 years ago, just ask any of their current or former employees.

However, you have to confidence in Kevin Sharer. If you’ve met, he is an incredibly capable leader. Annapolis-bred, IMO, he has managed the playbook for big biotech/pharma correctly (but also cautiously) since taking over as CEO. Certainly, he has not been as aggressive as some others in terms of inorganic growth, however, he also has fallen victim to the ‘predictable surprises’ of an underperforming R&D function that was designed to feed his company’s pipeline & that would have kept Amgen in never-never land. Instead, they are struggling to get people to stop talking about Genentech & remember that ‘other CA biotech company’ just north of Los Angeles.

]]> By: Steveknows http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/07/is-the-crisis-over-for-amgens-kevin-sharer/#comment-367985 Steveknows Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:39:41 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/?p=14833#comment-367985 I disagree with Mike King that this Deno announcement offsets the EPO/Aranesp difficulties. Amgen has been seriously damaged by the problem. So, if his statement is true, an offset just makes it even? With that kind of thinking, then Amgen is treading water or, just making things the same pre EPO/Aranesp problems. I disagree with Mike King that this Deno announcement offsets the EPO/Aranesp difficulties. Amgen has been seriously damaged by the problem. So, if his statement is true, an offset just makes it even? With that kind of thinking, then Amgen is treading water or, just making things the same pre EPO/Aranesp problems.

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