Dow Jones -- Amgen Inc. is hiring flexible, mobile sales representatives as it builds a primary care sales force, a strategy that may allow for a more efficient product launch ahead of the expected regulatory approval of osteoporosis treatment denosumab in mid-October.
The launch is likely to be the most important yet for the Thousand Oaks, Calif., biotech, as the drug focuses on primary care physicians in the U.S., a much wider target than its traditional specialty focus. Amgen's job is made more difficult because the company, unlike traditional pharmaceuticals, is creating the sales force from scratch.
