Amgen beats Street

AMGN reported second quarter adjusted EPS of $0.62, beating the Street's $0.59 estimate by $0.03 and up 27% from EPS of $0.49 in the same period last year. Product sales were $2.4 billion, up 27% from $1.9 billion in the second quarter of 2003.

Combined second quarter sales of anemia therapies Epogen and Aranesp were up 30% quarter over quarter to $1.2 billion from $959 million. Sales of Aranesp, a second-generation EPO product, were $617 million in the second quarter, up 78% from the same period in 2003. Second quarter sales of neutropenia products Neupogen and Neulasta were $721 million, up 14% from $634 million in the same period last year. Sales of Enbrel were $440 million, up 45% from second quarter 2003 sales of $304 million. AMGN gained Enbrel, which is marketed for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, from its 2002 purchase of Immunex. ...