Amgen sued over cancer medications

Amgen Inc., the world’s largest biotechnology company, was sued by Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, which claims it has been underpaid by at least $72 million in a licensing agreement over two drugs.

The institute, which filed a complaint in federal court in Manhattan, claims Amgen took “impermissible deductions” in a licensing agreement over the drugs Neupogen and Neulasta.

“Amgen denies the allegations in the complaint filed today by Sloan-Kettering, and we plan to vigorously defend our position,” an Amgen spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

Neupogen and Neulasta stimulate growth of infection-fighting white blood cells that are wiped out by chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients. The drugs generated $3.92 billion in combined sales in 2006, about 28% of Amgen’s total revenue, the Thousand Oaks-based company has said.