Amgen Soars as CEO Touts Experimental Obesity Drug’s Progress

Amgen Inc.’s shares soared after its chief executive officer said he was “very encouraged” by early results from a study of the company’s experimental obesity drug, MariTide.

“We recognize the significant interest in obesity,” Amgen CEO Robert Bradway said Thursday on a call with investors. “We are confident in MariTide’s differentiated profile and believe it will address important unmet medical needs.”

Amgen shares rose as much as 15% in trading before US markets opened Friday. If the gain holds into regular trading, Amgen will be set for its biggest rise since July 2009.

The Thousand Oaks, California-based company has ...