Increased drug sales help Amgen exceed second quarter expectations.

Despite charges relating to a recent acquisition, biotech giant Amgen Inc. beat Wall Street second-quarter forecasts on July 20 as it reported double digit increases in sales of its drugs to fight anemia, infection and inflammation.

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen's acquisition of Fremont-based biotech Abgenix Inc. took a significant chunk out of the company's reported earnings. Charges related to the merger, plus stock-options expenses and other costs totaled $1.1 billion, reducing net income to $14 million, compared to $1.03 billion (82 cents per share) for the same period a year ago. Sales rose 14 percent to $3.6 billion.

But Amgen said adjusted earnings showed a jump of nearly 12 percent to almost $1.2 billion ($1.05 per share). The consensus of analysts polled by Thomson Fast Call had forecast sales of $3.5 billion and adjusted earnings of 94 cents a share.

Sales of Amgen's top-selling anemia drug Aranesp surged 26 percent to $1.1 billion. Combined sales of Neulasta, used with chemotherapy to fight infection, and an older version called Neupogen rose 12 percent to about $1.1 billion. Sales for Enbrel, which treats rheumatoid arthritis, rose 13 percent to $724 million.

"It's a really good result," Geoffrey Porges, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., told Bloomberg News. "People are going to get excited about this name again."

Amgen shares, which fell 1 percent to $63.92 in regular Wading, climbed 4.5 percent in after-hours Wading following the announcement, likely based the company's improved outlook for fiscal 2006. The company has seen its share price fall 20 percent since the beginning of the year.

Amgen raised its guidance for adjusted 2006 earnings to $3.85 a share from $3.75. The forecast includes share dilution from its acquisition of Abgenix, but excludes stock option expenses and other costs. Executives also narrowed their revenue forecast for the year to between $14 billion and $14.3 billion. Analysts have been expecting full-year earnings of $3.67 on $13.94 billion revenue, according to First Call.

Amgen acquired Abgenix for $2.2 billion in April to gain full rights to a potential $2 billion-a-year colon cancer treatment called panitumumab. If approved by U.S. regulators as the company expects in September, the drug will be Amgen's first product to directly fight the cancer, not merely treat its side effects. The company said it plans to market the drug under the brand name Vectibix.

DEBORAH CROWE Staff Reporter