Amgen discloses data breach involving patient health information

July 31 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Amgen said on Friday hackers stole company data and patient health information in a cybersecurity incident involving cloud storage systems run by third-party providers, becoming the latest healthcare firm to disclose a breach.

On July 29, Amgen determined the incident was material, based on its evaluation of how many files appeared to be affected and the possibility that the information in those files could be sensitive, it said in a regulatory filing.

The healthcare sector has been grappling with a surge in cyberattacks, with Abbott Laboratories, Clover Health, Stryker, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk and West Pharmaceutical Services among the companies recently affected.

Amgen has activated its cybersecurity response plan, put containment measures in place, and brought in independent forensic experts to investigate.

The company said it was assessing whether and/or the extent to which patient, confidential business information, intellectual property, research and development, or other information may have been accessed or stolen.

To date, it said it has not found any impact on its products, manufacturing operations, financial reporting systems, or its ability to meet patient needs.

The incident comes as Amgen faces scrutiny over its rare-disease drug Tavneos, after a major medical journal retracted a key study backing the treatment and regulators in the United States and Europe sought to remove it from the market.

Amgen said it takes the obligation to protect patient privacy and data security very seriously and that it was still evaluating what regulatory and legal notifications were required and would notify affected parties, including patients, based on its findings.