Amgen pleads guilty to improper marketing of anemia drug Aranesp

By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times December 18, 2012, 4:46 p.m.  –  Biotech giant Amgen Inc. pleaded guilty in federal court to improper marketing of its anemia drug Aranesp and has agreed to pay $762 million in criminal fines and civil settlements to resolve complaints from company whistle-blowers.  Federal prosecutors in New York said the Thousand Oaks company was “pursuing profits at the risk of patient safety” by encouraging doctors to use its popular anemia drug for unapproved uses to boost sales and to take market share from a rival drug maker.  Read more