Amgen, Bivitrum announce $130 million sales/licensing deal

LOS ANGELES Amgen announced Monday that it will sell two of its drugs and license another to Biovitrum.

The deal with the Swedish drug maker is worth $130 million. Biovitrum will buy Kepivance and Stemgen and receive exclusive rights to market Kineret. Kepivance is used to treat mouth sores caused by cancer; Stemgen stimulates stem-cell production in the blood; and Kineret treats rheumatoid arthritis.

Amgen, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., said the three drugs had combined sales last year of almost $70 million.