Oct 30 (Reuters) - Amgen ( AMGN ) reported a

higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, driven by a

24% rise in sales of products including cholesterol drug Repatha

and Prolia for osteoporosis, and said results of a mid-stage

trial of a potentially lucrative obesity medicine will be

unveiled late this year.

The U.S. biotech company said adjusted third-quarter

earnings rose 13% from a year earlier to $5.58 per share,

beating the $5.11 estimate by analysts, according to LSEG data.

Third-quarter revenue of $8.5 billion was in line with

analyst estimates of $8.52 billion.

Amgen ( AMGN ) shares, which closed at $315.54 in regular Nasdaq

trading, were little changed at $315 after hours.

The financial results were somewhat uneventful, BMO Capital

Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said in a research note, adding

that investor focus has shifted to the upcoming readout of Phase

2 results for the company's experimental weight-loss drug

MariTide.

Amgen ( AMGN ) said initial results from the study will be announced

late this year. The company has already set up the next round of

clinical testing to potentially provide data enabling approval

of the medicine by regulators.

"We're well advanced in preparing to launch a broad Phase 3

program for MariTide including obesity, obesity-related

conditions and type 2 diabetes," Amgen ( AMGN ) CEO Bob Bradway said on a

conference call.

Some analysts have forecast annual sales of new weight-loss

medicines reaching $150 billion in the next decade.

"MariTide has the potential to be the first therapy in this

setting with monthly or even less frequent dosing," Chief

Scientific Officer Jay Bradner said on the call.

Amgen ( AMGN ) has begun studying a different weight-loss drug

candidate, known as AMG513, but few details have been disclosed.

The company also announced plans for late-stage testing of

experimental immunotherapy xaluritamig in men with advanced

prostate cancer.

"We continue to invest in research and development

spending," Chief Financial Officer Peter Griffith told Reuters,

noting that spending this year is expected to increase 25%.

Quarterly sales of Repatha rose 40% to $567 million, while

sales of Prolia increased 6% to $1.05 billion.

Sales of arthritis drug Enbrel fell 20% to $825 million as

revenue from outside of the U.S. nearly disappeared due to

competition from less expensive biosimilar versions of the drug.

Sales of thyroid eye disease drug Tepezza, acquired with

Amgen's ( AMGN ) buyout last year of Horizon Therapeutics, totaled $488

million for the quarter.

For the full year, Amgen ( AMGN ) narrowed its earnings outlook to

between $19.20 and $20.00 per share, from $19.10 to $20.10. It

also raised the midpoint of its revenue forecast and now expects

$33 billion to $33.8 billion versus a previous view of $32.8

billion to $33.8 billion.

Analysts, on average, had forecast earnings per share of

$19.49 on revenue of $31.8 billion.