Amgen's psoriasis pill Otezla thrives amid pandemic against injectable rivals

As companies worldwide grapple with sales challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, Amgen is getting a boost from its newly acquired immunology blockbuster Otezla.

The medicine, picked up from Celgene last year, has bested the company's expectations despite the pandemic. As a pill competing against a sea of injectable psoriasis competitors, the med’s oral administration has "proved to be a convenient option” for patients, Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of global commercial operations, told analysts Tuesday. More patients started on the medicine in recent months than on Otezla’s branded rivals, Gordon said, even as COVID-19 caused a decline in new patient starts across the field.