Amgen’s David Lacey.

Amgen researchers are being recognized for their impact on the field of bone biology for a 2003 Nature article, which is “the highest cited paper” in its research area, according to Thomson Reuters’ ScienceWatch website.

Citation in scientific literature is considered a significant metric of a paper’s impact on its field of research and of scientific innovation.

The paper, “Osteoclast differentiation and activation,” was a review article prepared for the May 2003 issue of Nature. The authors, William J. Boyle, Scott Simonet and David Lacey, worked together at Amgen in the 1990s. Lacey is now senior vice president of Research at Amgen and Simonet is executive director of Research in the area of Metabolic Disorders at Amgen.

Amgen’s Scott Simonet.

Osteoclasts are the cells that break down bone. Excessive bone resorption occurs across a number of diseases, including postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer-related bone disease and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. The paper examined osteoclast research and focused on the central importance of the RANK Ligand pathway, which is essential to osteoclast function. Together, the three Amgen scientists were involved in the discovery of osteoprotegerin, the first member of the RANK Ligand pathway to be described, and helped to define the biology of the other two pathway members, RANK and RANK Ligand. The discovery of this pathway led to a significant advance in the understanding of and knowledge about osteoclasts.

It also captured the imagination of Amgen scientists and led to one of the largest and most comprehensive global development programs in multiple conditions that cause bone loss and destruction, such as postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer-treatment-induced bone loss, cancer-related bone destruction, and rheumatoid arthritis. Globally, more than 19,000 patients across all indications are participating in clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of an investigational treatment Amgen has developed to target RANK Ligand, the protein that mediates bone breakdown. This program, the largest ever initiated by Amgen, demonstrates the company’s commitment to researching and delivering pioneering medicines to patients with unmet medical needs.

To read an interview with the Amgen scientists recognized for “one of the most-cited recent papers in its field,” visit the ScienceWatch website.

To learn more about Amgen’s groundbreaking research in bone biology, visit www.rankligand.com.