Hundreds of employees, life sciences leaders from across the state, and senior leadership gathered at Amgen Massachusetts in Kendall Square on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the site’s 25th anniversary. The occasion recognized the people, scientific innovation and partnerships that have shaped the site and helped turn promising discoveries into medicines for patients around the world.
“As we celebrate 25 years of Amgen Massachusetts, I am proud of the place we have earned in this community and especially proud of the people whose work and commitment made it possible,” said Margaret Faul, Vice President, Drug Substance Technologies and Site Head at Amgen Massachusetts. “Innovation lives in the science we pursue, the questions we ask, and the creativity and collaboration our colleagues bring to work every day. It lives in a community that keeps learning, solving problems and looking for better ways to help patients.”
Amgen opened its 285,000-square-foot Cambridge research center in 2001, becoming one of the early biotechnology companies to establish a major presence in what would grow into a global life sciences hub. As Kendall Square evolved, the Amgen site evolved alongside it. What opened as a research center is now home to Amgen’s Operations East Coast Innovation Center, focused on process development and operations innovation.
In a neighborhood known for scientific discovery, Amgen Massachusetts focuses on the critical work that follows. Teams across drug substance, drug product, analytical testing and scale-up develop and optimize the processes and technologies needed to prepare promising medicines for safe, consistent and efficient production at Amgen manufacturing facilities around the world.
“Kendall Square has earned its reputation as the most innovative square mile on the planet, thanks in part to companies like Amgen that have chosen to call Cambridge home,” said Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. “For 25 years, Amgen has been part of a community dedicated to tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges, advancing groundbreaking research, and developing life-saving treatments that improve lives around the world. Beyond its scientific contributions, Amgen has created opportunities and invested in our local community. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to many more years of innovation and partnership.”
The celebration recognized more than 450 employees at the Cambridge site, whose work spans chemistry, biology, engineering, data science and other disciplines to turn promising science into medicines for patients globally.
Faul also led a panel discussion with former Amgen Massachusetts site heads, who reflected on the Cambridge site’s early years, its transformation over the past quarter century, and the people and innovations that shaped its growth.
The program featured a video message from Amgen Chairman and CEO Bob Bradway and remarks from Kendall Square Association Executive Director Beth O’Neill Maloney on Amgen Massachusetts’ role in the region’s life sciences ecosystem. Attendees included State Senator Sal DiDomenico, State Representatives Marjorie Decker and Daniel J. Ryan, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang.
“The presence of Amgen in Kendall Square has brought palpable, purpose-driven energy and creativity to this community,” said Kendall Square Association Executive Director Beth O’Neill Malloney. “You exemplify the collaboration, the tenacity, the creativity, resilience, plus compassion and commitment to doing good that are hallmarks of Kendall Square. And they are known not just here in this neighborhood, but globally.”
“The work being done at Amgen has real-world consequences for patients and their families,” said State Senator Sal DiDomenico. “By turning scientific discoveries into medicines, Amgen is helping people live longer, healthier lives and giving families more time with their loved ones. For 25 years, the people at Amgen have put their time, talent and resources toward making life better for patients around the world.”
Amgen Massachusetts is home to Amgen’s Operations East Coast Innovation Center in Kendall Square. The Cambridge-based team focuses on process development and operations innovation, developing the processes and technologies needed to turn scientific discoveries into medicines that can be produced safely, reliably and at scale. The site brings together teams across chemistry, biology, engineering and data science to solve technical challenges and prepare medicines for transfer to Amgen manufacturing facilities worldwide.
