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Amgen's Cash Strength Versus Moderna's mRNA Pivot

The comparison shows whether steady, cash-generating commercial scale or a pipeline-driven recovery will best reward shareholders.

Overview

  • Amgen reported nearly $36.7 billion in FY2025 revenue, about $7.7 billion in net income, a 21% net margin, and roughly $8.1 billion in free cash flow.
  • The company serves about 17 million patients and depends heavily on three distributors—McKesson, Cencora, and Cardinal Health—which together accounted for 77% of gross revenues in 2025 and create concentration risk.
  • Moderna posted roughly $1.9 billion in FY2025 revenue, a decline of about 39%, and reported a net loss of nearly $2.8 billion driven by lower pandemic-vaccine demand and high research spending.
  • Moderna is shifting toward a broader mRNA program across infectious disease, oncology, and rare diseases and is pursuing partnerships such as its collaboration with Merck to help commercialize cancer treatments.
  • Investors must weigh Amgen's predictable cash flows and scale against Moderna's higher-risk, execution-dependent upside where future returns hinge on successful product launches and demand forecasting.