Amgen is facing renewed criticism from animal-rights campaigners over its business relationship with a breeder that supplies beagles and other animals for laboratory research.
The company continues to work with a supplier that the USDA has repeatedly cited under the Animal Welfare Act, demonstrators said at an August 3 protest near Amgen's Thousand Oaks campus.
What happened?
Protesters with Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, gathered outside the campus with "Save the Dogs" placards and beagle photos, according to the Camarillo Acorn.
At the heart of the demonstration was Marshall BioResources, also called Marshall Farms. The Acorn described the company as an international breeder that supplies purpose-bred animals to research labs.
The activist network alleged in a post-protest statement that "photos from inside the facility show dogs confined in cages, dogs fitted with inhalation masks being trained for toxicology experiments, and a deceased beagle puppy lying in a metal tub of diarrhea."
Dash Nye, who coordinates press for the group in Los Angeles, said, "We know they have the resources and the position to end their relationship with Marshall BioResources."
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Marshall BioResources disputed the allegations, telling the Acorn that activist claims have been "debunked on multiple occasions." The company said the USDA has inspected its facilities regularly, including unannounced visits in May and July that produced no citations.
USDA records show the breeder has received multiple citations tied to alleged Animal Welfare Act violations dating back to 2007, according to the Acorn.
Amgen did not comment directly on the protest and instead referred readers to its animal-research ethics webpage, which states that the company is "committed to applying the highest standards of animal care to support animal welfare."
Why does it matter?
Activists say the dispute is not limited to Amgen. Because Marshall BioResources supplies animals globally, they argue that business from major clients helps sustain the company's operations.
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A 2025 inspection report cited by the Acorn found that the company's Thousand Oaks lab used 23 dogs that year.
Readers interested in spotting misleading corporate claims can check out the TCD Guide's page on greenwashing.
What's being done?
According to the Acorn, the activist network's campaign against Amgen dates to 2023, the year the company acquired several research dogs from the breeder.
Activists also approached Amgen executive Michael Abernathy in June at a pharmaceutical industry gathering in Boston, the Acorn reported.
For Pete Reimann, a protester with the True Cost Project, the effort goes beyond Amgen. He said the broader goal is to pressure "the major pharmaceutical companies, PetSmart and Petco" to cut ties with Marshall BioResources.
During the Thousand Oaks protest, Reimann questioned how a company could face "criminal animal abuse allegations" if it is supposedly complying with all applicable laws.
The protesters are also promoting alternatives to animal testing. Reimann pointed to organoids, lab-grown clusters of cells that behave like miniature organs, along with computer models that estimate toxicity.
Amgen's own website says it studies New Approach Methods, including in vitro testing.
"Those methods are cheaper and they're less cruel," Reimann said. "Obviously, they don't require anyone suffering, and many times you get better results as well."
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