USA – Amgen Inc. has hired Howard Chang as Senior Vice President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), effective December 16.
Chang, a renowned biotechnology researcher and professor at Stanford University, succeeds Ray Deshaies in the role.
Known for his groundbreaking work on long non-coding RNAs—genetic material that makes up 98% of the human genome but does not encode proteins—Chang was awarded the 2024 Lurie Prize for his contributions to understanding their role in disease.
In addition to his academic achievements, Chang is a seasoned biotech entrepreneur, having co-founded several companies including Accent Therapeutics, Boundless Bio, Cartography Biosciences, and Orbital Therapeutics.
At Amgen, he will oversee global research operations and focus on developing therapies for rare diseases, cancer, inflammation, and cardiometabolic conditions.
He will report to Jay Bradner, the executive vice president of research and development, who has been serving as CSO until now.
“Howard is one of our generation’s foremost physician-scientists, with expertise in human genetics and a profound ability to distill complex disease biology into clarified targets,” said Bradner in a statement announcing Chang’s appointment.
Chang’s hiring comes at a critical time for Amgen, which faces the impending loss of market exclusivity for some of its best-selling drugs, including Prolia/Xgeva, Enbrel, Repatha, and Otezla.
According to analyst firm Leerink Partners, Amgen is one of the top five large-cap biopharma companies exposed to patent expirations for blockbuster drugs between 2025 and 2030.
In response, Amgen has been actively seeking new avenues for growth, including its US $28 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics last year.
The company is also focusing on experimental treatments for immune-system disorders, prostate cancer, and obesity, a field gaining investor attention due to the rising demand for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.
Despite these challenges, Chang expressed confidence in Amgen’s future. “Amgen holds a storied place in the biotech industry,” he said on LinkedIn. “I’m confident we can push the boundaries of what is possible in science and medicine.”
Chang’s educational background includes undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a residency and fellowship in dermatology at Stanford. He has been a faculty member at Stanford since 2004.
As Amgen continues to navigate the pressures of patent expirations and evolving market dynamics, Chang’s appointment is seen as a strategic move to bolster the company’s research pipeline and accelerate its pursuit of innovative therapies.
