Amgen and deCODE Genetics today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Amgen will acquire deCODE Genetics, a global leader in human genetics, headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland. The all-cash transaction values deCODE Genetics at $415 million, subject to customary closing adjustments, and was unanimously approved by the Amgen Board of Directors.

“deCODE Genetics has built a world-class capability in the study of the genetics of human disease,” said Robert A. Bradway, president and CEO at Amgen. “This capability will enhance our efforts to identify and validate human disease targets.   This fits perfectly with our objective to pursue rapid development of relevant molecules that reach the right disease targets while avoiding investments in programs based on less well-validated targets.” Founded in 1996, deCODE Genetics is a global leader in analyzing and understanding the link between the genome and disease susceptibility.

Using its unique expertise and access to a well-defined population in Iceland, deCODE Genetics has discovered genetic risk factors for dozens of diseases ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer.

“One of the ways to truly realize the full value of human genetics, is to make our research synergistic with drug development efforts where target discovery, validation and prioritization efforts can be accelerated,” said Kari Stefansson, M.D., Dr. Med., founder and CEO at deCODE Genetics.  “We believe Amgen’s focus and ability to incorporate our genetic research into their research and development efforts will translate our discoveries into meaningful therapies for patients.” This transaction does not require regulatory approval, and is expected to close before the end of 2012.