EXHIBIT 5.1
                        [Letterhead of Latham & Watkins]

                                 March 6, 2002

Amgen Inc.
One Amgen Center Drive
Thousand Oaks, California  91320-1789

                  Re:   Amgen Inc.
                        Common Stock, par value $.0001 per share
                        Registration on Form S-8
                        ------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          In connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Act"), of an aggregate of 12,000,000 shares of Common Stock,
par value $0.0001 per share (the "Shares"), issuable by Amgen Inc. (the
"Company") under the Amended and Restated 1997 Special Non-Officer Equity
Incentive Plan (the "Plan") on a Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on March 6, 2002 (the
"Registration Statement"), you have requested our opinion with respect to the
matters set forth below.

          In our capacity as your special counsel in connection with such
registration, we are familiar with the proceedings taken and proposed to be
taken by the Company in connection with the issuance of the Shares. In addition,
we have made such legal and factual examinations and inquiries, including an
examination of originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our
satisfaction of such documents, corporate records and instruments, as we have
deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion.

          In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the
conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as
copies.

          We are opining herein as to the effect on the subject transaction only
of the federal securities laws of the United States and the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware, and we express no opinion with respect to the
applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the laws of any other
jurisdiction, or in the case of Delaware, any other laws, or as to any matters
of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state.

          Subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that upon the issuance
of Shares in accordance with the terms of the Plan and delivery and payment
therefor of legal consideration in excess of the aggregate par value of the
Shares issued, such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.


          This opinion is rendered only to you and is solely for your benefit in
connection with the transactions covered hereby. This opinion may not be relied
upon by you for any other purpose, or furnished to, quoted to, or relied upon by
any other person, firm or corporation for any purpose, without our prior written
consent. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement.

                                Very truly yours,

                                /s/ Latham & Watkins