The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization and Amgen, the world's largest independent biotechnology company, have joined forces

American Cancer Society
Thursday, 23 September 1999

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization and the preeminent source of cancer information and service, and Amgen, the world's largest independent biotechnology company, have joined forces to provide cancer patients and their caregivers with the credible, accurate and timely information they need to make informed decisions about cancer treatment.

Beginning today for the first time, cancer patients and their caregivers can visit the Society's web site, www.cancer.org, to access "Chemotherapy Principles," a peer-reviewed, yet patient-friendly article that explains how chemotherapy works. The article also provides useful information about the side effects of chemotherapy designed to help patients successfully complete their course of treatment.

The American Cancer Society's collaboration with Amgen is part of the organization's strategic program to develop its own proprietary cancer drug database that will eventually be linked to a variety of patient education materials and external pharmaceutical sites. In this way, patients and caregivers will be able to make the most informed treatment decisions possible through access to enhanced information on various classes of drugs that can be used to treat cancer, while having easy access to additional background through a comprehensive system of internet links.

The American Cancer Society and Amgen developed the chemotherapy content in collaboration with independent physician experts and a nationwide editorial advisory panel of oncologists.

"By itself, the American Cancer Society lacks the resources to fully share the cancer education message with all of those in need," said Harmon Eyre, MD, executive vice president for research and medical affairs for the American Cancer Society. "However, pharmaceutical companies like Amgen have the resources and expertise in communicating cancer therapies. This expertise, combined with the American Cancer Society's credibility and access to millions of cancer patients, creates a powerful synergy that benefits everyone."

"We are very pleased to join with the American Cancer Society to provide the many patients receiving chemotherapy with important information on cancer and its treatment," said Gordon Binder, Amgen's chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Binder currently serves as a trustee of the American Cancer Society Foundation.

Amgen is a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets cost-effective human therapeutics based on advances in cellular and molecular biology.

For more information about Amgen visit the company web site at www.amgen.com.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

For information about cancer, call toll-free anytime 1-800-ACS-2345

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org