Amgen Joins With LabCentral To Support Life-Sciences And Biotech Startups In Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sponsorship Secures Resources Needed for Biotech Startups to Advance Innovative Research

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Dec 22, 2014, 09:15 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and LabCentral, an innovative, shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for life-sciences and biotech startups, announced today an agreement in which Amgen has become a LabCentral platinum sponsor. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Amgen can nominate up to two promising life-sciences and biotech startup companies per year to take up residence in LabCentral's Kendall Square facilities.

A 28,000 sq. ft. facility in the heart of the Kendall Square, MA, biotech innovation hub, LabCentral is a first-of-its-kind shared lab space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences startups. It offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for up to 25 startups comprising approx.100 scientists and entrepreneurs. LabCentral provides 1st-class facility and administrative support, skilled lab personnel, a domain-relevant expert speaker series - as well as the other critical support...

"Amgen, with its deep expertise as a developer of biotech-based drugs, is an ideal partner for many of LabCentral's resident companies working on promising new biopharmaceuticals," said LabCentral President Johannes Fruehauf, Ph.D., M.D. "We're thrilled that Amgen has joined as our newest sponsor and look forward to working with the Amgen team to support these early-stage entrepreneurs and to help accelerate development of new therapies to improve human health."

"Amgen is excited to sponsor LabCentral as we seek additional opportunities to leverage the power of collaboration that occurs naturally within a world-renowned biotech community such as Cambridge," said Amgen's Senior Vice President, Discovery Research Sasha Kamb. "Given our commitment to early stage research, Amgen's sponsorship with LabCentral enhances our presence within Cambridge and fosters science-driven curiosity and research innovation, which in turn, has the potential to lead to promising new therapies for patients."

About LabCentral
A 28,000 square-foot facility in the heart of the Kendall Square, Cambridge, biotech innovation hub, LabCentral is a first-of-its-kind shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences and biotech startups. It offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for 28 startups comprising approximately 125 scientists and entrepreneurs. LabCentral provides first-class facility and administrative support, skilled laboratory personnel, a domain-relevant expert speaker series ‒ as well as the other critical services and support that early-stage companies need to begin laboratory operations on day one. A private, nonprofit institution, LabCentral was funded in part by a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, with support from its real-estate partner, MIT. Founding sponsors include Triumvirate Environmental and Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its biologics manufacturing expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.