NADER SEEKS AMGEN PROBE; CONSUMER ACTIVIST CLAIMS THOUSAND OAKS COMPANY SUPPRESSED RESEARCH DATA.

Byline: Ben Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

First the Corvair. Then Microsoft. Now consumer rights activist Ralph Nader has set his sights on Thousand Oaks-based biotech giant Amgen Inc.

In letters sent late Thursday to President Clinton and Amgen Chief Executive Gordon Binder, Nader called for an investigation of whether Amgen suppressed research on its best-selling anti-anemia drug Epogen because it would hurt the company's revenues.

Nader claims that a compound called a protein binding factor developed at the federally funded Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory could cut by half the amount of Epogen patients need by reducing the amount of drug eliminated from a person's body through their urine.

``This invention has the potential to save consumers hundreds of millions of dollars per year, and to make Epogen more broadly available to patients who cannot currently afford the drug,'' Nader said in his letter.

Researchers at the Berkeley lab approached Amgen in 1993 about coordinating development of the compound, an offer Amgen declined. Nader said he wants the government to find out if Amgen refused to cooperate because the compound would cut the amount of Epogen that patients need and therefore hurt the company's sales.

If that is the case, the consumer advocate said he hoped the government would consider cutting research support if the company ``refuses to address legitimate and important public health concerns.''

Amgen spokesman David Kaye said the company rejected the offer based on its scientific merits.

``We get something on the order of 500-plus unsolicited licensing opportunities a year. We evaluate each one. In 1993, Amgen received a proposal from Lawrence Berkeley and for scientific reasons did not choose to pursue it,'' Kaye said.

When told of Kaye's remarks, Jamie Love, director of Nader's Consumer Project on Technology, said the answer made sense.

``If their position is that this invention doesn't warrant investigation on its merits, wholly apart from their revenue stream, OK. But they were unwilling to tell me that,'' Love said.

Love added, however, that he still believes otherwise.

``My guess is Amgen is prepared to discourage anyone else from doing this sort of thing precisely because it would cut (their sales),'' he said.

Epogen accounted for about half of Amgen's $2.4 billion in 1997 sales.

There was no word from the White House on Friday whether Clinton planned to pursue an investigation of the biotech company. ``Once the letter is . . . reviewed it will get the appropriate action,'' said White House press spokesman Jonathan Murchinson. Murchinson said he did not know what that action would be.

Amgen isn't the first big technology firm to draw fire from Nader. The outspoken consumer activist got his start in the 1960s criticizing the auto industry for making unsafe cars.

Last year, Nader blasted Microsoft Corp. and chairman Bill Gates, claiming the company uses its vast market presence in personal computer operating systems to dominate other markets such as Internet commerce.

Amgen shares gained $1.812 Friday to close at $57.625.