Amgen Inc's Next Blockbuster Drug Delivers

On Thursday's edition of Market Checkup, The Motley Fool's health-care focused show for investors, Fool health-care analyst David Williamson sheds some light on what's driving the biggest movers in the health-care space today.

Amgen has just released phase 3 data for its PCSK9 drug, AMG 145, and the results are impressive. Drugs that aim to block the PCSK9 enzyme have the potential to lower cholesterol levels in patients, and AMG 145 has met both of its phase 3 endpoints while remaining relatively well-tolerated by the trial patients. In a phase 2 trial, AMG 145, also called evolocumab, led to a 51% reduction in LDL levels, which rose to a 63% reduction when combined with a statin. David emphasizes just how much more effective this is than the currently available treatments on the market, and discusses why this drug could be a multi-billion dollar blockbuster. He also discusses some of Amgen's competitors, and tells investors who else could be affected as this drug potentially makes its way to market.