Amgen Inc., with the help of leading community oncology networks, has launched Amgen Community Oncology Research Collaborators, an initiative to introduce more people to clinical research.

Collaborations will allow the Thousand Oaks biotech to expand its clinical research footprint to more than 200 patient care sites across the U.S. The centers are expected to reach more than 900,000 new patients.

“About 80 percent of cancer patients across the U.S. are treated outside of an academic institute by a community oncologist, making it critical to expand clinical trials to include patients in the community setting,” said Dr. Darryl Sleep, chief medical officer at Amgen. “By leveraging our collective expertise, Amgen hopes to expand our clinical research footprint to bring innovative trials to community centers as quickly as possible.”

Amgen announced the collaboration late Tuesday. Shares of Amgen (AMGN) closed Thursday down 14 cents, or a fraction of a percent, to $169.04 on the Nasdaq.