Top US biotech firm Amgen sets up innovation site in city

Hyderabad: America's largest biotechnology company Amgen (AMGEN) launched its new technology and innovation site in Hyderabad on Monday. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu inaugurated the Amgen Innovation Site at the Amgen office premises near Hitech City. Amgen Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert A Broadway, US Consul General Jennifer Larsen, Amgen India Representative Som Chattopadhyay, and Amgen India Managing Director Naveen Gullapalli were also present.

Amgen has set up this new centre in Hyderabad to further technologically develop its range of medicines. It is developing the new facility as an innovation site with digital capabilities in AI and data science. The company will invest $200 million (about Rs 1,600 crore) by 2025 and more investments will flow in the future also. Amgen’s expansion plans will create more job opportunities in the bio-pharma sector.

The Chief Minister said that Hyderabad has further strengthened its position as a biotech hub with the expansion of Amgen's operations. “I visited the Amgen Research and Development centre during a San Francisco tour in August last year. I inquired about Amgen's efforts to change people's lives through research on drugs and new drug discoveries. Impressed by the company’s profile, I immediately invited Amgen to join as a partner with the state government and assured full support on behalf of the government. I am happy that the world-renowned biotech company Amgen is now setting up an innovation centre in Hyderabad”, the CM said.

“Telangana is already a leader in the life sciences, pharma and bio-tech sectors. The youngest state of Telangana is striving towards achieving a trillion dollar GDP. The People’s Government is working with the determination to promote Hyderabad as one of the great cities in the world, as a ‘China Plus One destination’,” Revanth Reddy added.

The Chief Minister assured that the state government will definitely support the development and long-term expansion plans of the industries which come forward to invest in the state. The government will invite the companies for investment in research, skill development and partnership in education.

IT and Industries Minister Sridhar Babu said that the arrival of world-leading companies like Amgen in the state will bring new opportunities. He opined that a new platform for innovation has been created by combining both biotech and technology. The Minister expressed his hope that Hyderabad will soon become a world biotech hub.

Amgen Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert A Broadway said that the launch of this innovation centre marks a new milestone in the company’s efforts to provide better services to patients and utilise technology along with a global network. He thanked the state government for supporting the expansion of the company.