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 ( AMGN ) 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 ( ABT ), Clover Health

, Stryker, Medtronic ( MDT ), Novo Nordisk

and West Pharmaceutical Services ( WST ) among the

companies recently affected.

Amgen ( AMGN ) 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 ( AMGN ) 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 ( AMGN ) 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.