Key Points
-
Amgen’s cancer drug Imdelltra has been shown to be effective in treating advanced lung cancer when paired with AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi.
-
The risk of death was cut by 58% for patients who used the combination treatment.
-
In the second quarter, Amgen had 22 products that grew sales in the double digits, and it has many more treatments in its pipeline.
-
This year has been a tremendous one for healthcare company Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), as it has risen by more than 40% in value thus far. While a lot of the hype in healthcare is around Moderna these days with its cancer vaccine, Amgen is a larger and safer business to invest in. And it also gave investors some great news with respect to a promising cancer treatment.
Amgen’s Imdelltra has shown that it can significantly reduce the risk of death in patients who have extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, when paired with a treatment from AstraZeneca, Imfinzi. For both patients and investors, it’s a great development. Here’s why the healthcare stock could soar from here on out.
Missed AI’s “Act 1”? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn’t buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of “Act 1″—the R&D phase. “Act 2” is the global rollout. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
Could this be a game changer for an aggressive cancer?
When Imdelltra was paired with Imfinzi, it was highly effective in treating patients with late-stage small cell lung cancer, as it reduced the risk of death by 58%. It’s an aggressive cancer that’s often diagnosed when it’s already in late stages, making such results even more monumental for patients. The median survival on the combination treatment was 21.1 months, compared with 12.7 months with Imfinzi alone.
Amgen’s chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Burton, is optimistic about what this could mean for the future of treating the illness, believing that “it’s going to transform the standard of care for patients.”
Imdelltra has already been one of Amgen’s top drugs this year, generating 115% growth through the first six months of 2026, totaling $288 million. Unlocking a new opportunity could mean even more growth potential in the future.
It may not be too late to invest in Amgen’s stock
Although Amgen is up big this year, the stock may still have plenty of room to rise higher, especially in the long term. It’s been generating strong growth, with 22 products growing by double digits in the second quarter, and 17 being at annual run rates of over $1 billion.
Meanwhile, the healthcare stock is trading at a very reasonable forward price-to-earnings multiple of 19, which is based on analyst expectations. That’s in line with the S&P 500 average. But with some tremendous growth opportunities with Imdelltra and other drugs in its vast pipeline, which features dozens of projects in development, it arguably deserves to trade at a higher premium.
For growth-oriented investors, there’s ample incentive to continue hanging onto the stock, as Amgen’s valuation may climb much higher in the months and years to come.
Should you buy stock in Amgen right now?
Before you buy stock in Amgen, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Amgen wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $334,793!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,257,420!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 874% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 2, 2026.
David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amgen, AstraZeneca Plc, and Moderna. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
