AMGN » Topics » Manufacturing difficulties, disruptions or delays could limit supply of our products and limit our product sales.

This excerpt taken from the AMGN 10-K filed Mar 1, 2010.

Manufacturing difficulties, disruptions or delays could limit supply of our products and limit our product sales.

Manufacturing biologic human therapeutic products is difficult, complex and highly regulated. We currently manufacture all of our principal products and plan to manufacture many of our product candidates. In addition, we currently use third-party contract manufacturers to produce or assist in the production of ENBREL, Sensipar®/Mimpara® and Nplate® as well as our late-stage product candidate denosumab and plan to use contract manufacturers to produce a number of our other late-stage product candidates. Our ability to adequately and timely manufacture and supply our products is dependent on the uninterrupted and efficient operation of our facilities and those of our third-party contract manufacturers, which may be impacted by:

 

   

availability or contamination of raw materials and components used in the manufacturing process, particularly those for which we have no other source or supplier

 

   

capacity of our facilities and those of our contract manufacturers

 

   

facility contamination by microorganisms or viruses

 

   

labor disputes or shortages, including the effects of a pandemic flu outbreak

 

   

compliance with regulatory requirements

 

   

changes in forecasts of future demand

 

   

timing and actual number of production runs

 

   

updating of manufacturing specifications

 

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production success rates and bulk drug yields

 

   

timing and outcome of product quality testing

If the efficient manufacture and supply of our products is interrupted, we may experience delayed shipments, supply constraints, stock-outs and/or recalls of our products. If we are at any time unable to provide an uninterrupted supply of our products to patients, we may lose patients and physicians may elect to prescribe competing therapeutics instead of our products, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales and results of operations.

Our manufacturing processes and those of our third-party contract manufacturers must undergo a potentially lengthy FDA or other regulatory approval process and are subject to continued review by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. It can take longer than five years to build and license a new manufacturing plant and it can take longer than three years to qualify and license a new contract manufacturer. In order to maintain supply, mitigate risks associated with the majority of our formulation, fill and finish operations being performed in a single facility and to satisfy anticipated demand for our late-stage product candidates, in particular denosumab, we must successfully implement certain manufacturing projects on schedule.

If regulatory authorities determine that we or our third-party contract manufacturers or certain of our third-party service providers have violated regulations or if they restrict, suspend or revoke our prior approvals, they could prohibit us from manufacturing our products or conducting clinical trials or selling our marketed products until we or the affected third-party contract manufacturers or third-party service providers comply, or indefinitely. Because our third-party contract manufacturers and certain of our third-party service providers are subject to the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities, alternative qualified third-party contract manufacturers and third-party service providers may not be available on a timely basis or at all. If we or our third-party contract manufacturers or third-party service providers cease or interrupt production or if our third-party contract manufacturers and third-party service providers fail to supply materials, products or services to us, we may experience delayed shipments, supply constraints, stock-outs and/or recalls of our products. Additionally, we distribute a substantial volume of our commercial products through a single distribution center in Louisville, Kentucky for the United States and another in Breda, the Netherlands for Europe and the rest of the world. Our ability to timely supply products is dependent on the uninterrupted and efficient operations of our distribution and logistics centers and our third-party logistics providers.

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