Amgen reports continued growth in first quarter of 2013

Amgen has published its financial report for the first quarter of 2013, during which it generated a revenue total of $4.2 billion (2.72 billion pounds).

This represented a year-on-year increase of four percent, while the company's adjusted earnings per share total for the same period rose by 22 percent to $1.96.

During the quarter, Amgen's product sales revenues increased by six percent thanks to rising demand for Enbrel, Xgeva and Prolia, while progress was made on the development of newer compounds such as talimogene laherparepvec, trebananib and AMG 416.

For the full year, the firm still expects to deliver a 12-month revenue total of between $17.8 and $18.2 billion.

Robert Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen, said: "We are on track to deliver our full-year growth objectives. In addition, our key pipeline projects are progressing well and we are looking forward to clinical results from ongoing trials."

Last month, the company announced a $0.47 per share dividend for the second quarter of 2013, to be paid out on June 7th.