Biotechnology Firm’s Sales, Profits Jump

Amgen Inc., a giant biotechnology company based in Thousand Oaks, reported sharp increases in profit and revenue for the second quarter and six-month period that ended June 30.

The company posted a second-quarter profit of $138 million, up 28% from $107 million in the same three-month period a year earlier. Sales climbed to $494 million in the second quarter, up 19% from $415 million a year earlier.

For the first six months of the year, Amgen reported a profit of $246 million on sales of $933 million, compared to year-earlier earnings of $201 million on sales of $779 million.

The company attributed the results to double-digit increases in sales of Epogen and Neupogen, two blood-cell-producing drugs developed by Amgen.

“Strong growth in sales of our two breakthrough drugs, coupled with tight expense management, produced solid earnings growth,” said Gordon Binder, chief executive of Amgen.