Unique Community-Based Partnership With the Association of Black Cardiologists and Morehouse School of Medicine to Identify Study Sites and Participants

Observational Study to Better Understand Associations Between Lp(a) Levels and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) in an Underrepresented Patient Population

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the African American Heart Study, in collaboration with the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) and the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), which will measure the association between Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in 5,000 African American individuals across the United States. ASCVD is defined as the buildup of cholesterol plaque in arteries and includes events such as heart attack and stroke.

“The African American Heart Study is a unique collaborative study including community outreach in partnership with trusted organizations to help improve our understanding of the disproportionate higher incidence of Lp(a) and cardiovascular disease progression in African Americans and hopefully provide insights of ways to address barriers in clinical trial access,” said Ponda Motsepe-Ditshego, M.D., vice president, global medical and head of Amgen’s Representation in Clinical Research team. “At Amgen, our mission is to serve patients, and important to that mission is expanding clinical trial access and diverse representation in the community setting to provide a full picture of how a disease impacts certain groups.”