Corporate Champion Partner Spotlight: How Amgen and AKF are making a difference for the most kidney patients possible

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts, helping patients wherever they are in their kidney disease journey. Our work is made possible with the support of many partners, including those in AKF's Corporate Membership Program at the Champion level.

One of those partners is Amgen, who has supported many of AKF's key initiatives, including AKF's award-winning Goutful educational campaign; the cystinosis national virtual camp; and our Patient Access Initiative. Amgen has also supported a new vasculitis educational awareness initiative that provides information about the link between vasculitis and kidney disease.

Find out more about Amgen in this Corporate Champion Partner Spotlight.

What is your company's mission? 

Amgen harnesses the best of biology and technology to fight the world's toughest diseases, and make people's lives easier, fuller and longer. 

We helped establish the biotechnology industry, and we remain on the cutting edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. 

Our investment in research and development has yielded a robust pipeline that builds on our existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases.

What does innovation in kidney disease mean to Amgen?  

Innovation is often thought of in the form of medicine, and while that is a core focus for Amgen, we also believe in bringing innovation to approaches in education, care, support and resources for the community. For us it starts with participating, listening and learning from patients, caregivers and experts in the field. We value these partnerships and relationships, and it inspires our work to deliver new resources and programs together.

For Amgen medical director and nephrologist, Brad Marder, M.D., innovation comes from an inquisitive mindset, generating new data and improving patient outcomes. "Over the past few years, by working closely with nephrologists, we've advanced the body of knowledge of hard-to-treat diseases, like recognizing the kidney's central role in the development and progression of gout. One in four people with chronic kidney disease also have gout, making awareness and urgency key to helping patients."

Brian Tumminello, PharmD, medical affairs lead, Rare Diseases at Amgen, knows that innovation would not be possible without better understanding the patient journey, especially within a difficult to diagnosis disease like vasculitis. "We've had the opportunity to talk with many patients and hear about their vasculitis stories. By listening to experiences directly from patients with vasculitis, we can find the right ways to support this community and help ensure they are equipped to establish proper treatment plans for their situation and hopefully better manage their condition."

How does your work impact the kidney community and/or kidney disease research field? 

Our team at Amgen works across areas to help support those living with kidney disease, elevate awareness and advance research. Hear from two members of our medical affairs team on the work and passion they have for creating impact.

"Since I started my career nearly two decades ago, the medical field has been slow to recognize the profound impact uncontrolled gout can have on patients' health and activities of daily living," said Dr. Marder. "When I was a practicing nephrologist, I treated patients one at a time, but as part of Amgen's medical affairs team, my ability to improve care at scale can now help even more patients. My days are spent in research and in educating other healthcare professionals, especially my fellow nephrologists, on the progressive, systemic and inflammatory nature of gout and its impact beyond the joints. Ultimately, I hope to positively impact patient care and help educate and empower nephrologists to manage this unmet need for their CKD patients."   

"I came to Amgen through the acquisition of Chemocentryx, a company whose sole focus was finding treatment options for people living with rare diseases. I've found working with these patient groups to be highly rewarding as the community is small, and they often do not get the recognition or awareness they deserve," said Dr. Tumminello. "In particular, I have seen just how drastic ANCA-associated vasculitis can be. It affects almost every part of the body, including the kidney, and can be very hard to diagnose. At Amgen, we have made it a priority to support this patient group and help them have the options and resources that other larger, widespread conditions typically have."

Tell us about why your company decided to partner with AKF and why supporting this work is a priority for Amgen. 

Amgen's mission is to serve patients living with some of the most challenging diseases to treat. Partnering with organizations like the American Kidney Fund is core to being able to make a difference for the most people possible. The American Kidney Fund's leadership in kidney disease through a focus on access and empowerment is creating change within the community. 

Our partnership has seen the launch of creative, multi-year campaigns like Goutful, which is changing the dialogue on the disease and ensuring resources empower patients to seek optimal care.  

The partnership to host a national virtual camp for children living with cystinosis has created a positive impact for the community and fostered deeper connections.

What is one thing about kidney disease that you wish more people knew or understood? 

For this question we turned back to our medical team for their perspective:

"It's important for people to understand the full impact of chronic kidney disease, especially on other comorbid conditions like gout, cardiovascular disease and many others," said Dr. Marder. "As nephrologists, our job is more than to just treat a patient's kidney disease but to treat the entire patient. Advocating and sharing all symptoms, including those of other diseases like gout, can help to ensure the best opportunity to manage overall health in the most successful way possible."

"It is so important that people know the immediacy of kidney disease and that it can affect anyone," said Dr. Tumminello. "Making sure you have the right resources and support system of doctors to guide you through the diagnosis process is critical to ensure you're getting the best care possible." 

AKF thanks Amgen for its continued partnership. 

Want to partner with us? The Corporate Membership Program is open to institutional partners that support AKF's mission of fighting kidney disease and helping people live healthier lives. For more information, contact Daniel Green, corporate engagement manager, at dgreen@kidneyfund.org or 301-984-6675.