Exhibit 23.6

                                   CONSENT OF
               MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED

     We hereby consent to the use of our opinion letter dated December 16, 2001
to the Board of Directors of Immunex Corporation ("Immunex") included as
Appendix E to the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus which forms a part of the
Registration Statement on Form S-4 relating to the proposed merger of AMS
Acquisition Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen Inc. ("Amgen"), with and
into Immunex and to the references to such opinion in such Joint Proxy
Statement/Prospectus under the captions "Summary--Opinions of Financial
Advisors" "The Merger--Background of the Merger," "The Merger--Reasons for the
Merger-Immunex," "The Merger--Opinion of Financial Advisor-Immunex" and "The
Merger Agreement--Representations and Warranties." In giving such consent, we do
not admit and we hereby disclaim that we come within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
thereunder, nor do we thereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part
of such Registration Statement within the meaning of the term "experts" as used
in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

                                        MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER &
                                        SMITH INCORPORATED

                                        /s/ Alan Hartman
                                        -------------------------------------
New York, New York                      Name: Alan Hartman

January 29, 2002