Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and
neck (SCCHN) or its variants (eg, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and adenosquamous
cell carcinoma) of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx

- Diagnosis of metastatic disease and/or recurrent disease following locoregional
therapy and determined to be incurable by surgery or radiotherapy

- Subjects who have received radiation as primary therapy are eligible if locoregional
recurrence is in the field of radiation and has occurred ≥6 months after the
completion of radiation therapy. Subjects whose locoregional recurrence is solely
outside the field of radiation are eligible if the recurrence has occurred ≥ 3
months after the completion of radiation therapy.

- Measurable or non measurable disease. Target lesions must not be chosen from a
previously irradiated field unless there has been radiographically and/or
pathologically documented tumor progression in that lesion prior to randomization.

- Eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1

- Man or woman ≥ 18 years of age

- Hematological function, as follows (≤ 10 days prior to randomization):

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1.5 x 109/L Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L Hemoglobin ≥ 9
g/dL - Renal function, as follows (≤ 10 days prior to randomization):

Creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 50 mL/min calculated by the Cockcroft Gault method as
follows:

Male creatinine clearance = (140 age) x (weight in Kg) / (serum Cr x 72) Female
creatinine clearance = (140 age) x (weight in Kg) x 0.85 / (serum Cr x 72)

- Hepatic function, as follows (≤ 10 days prior to randomization): Aspartate
aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 5 x ULN if liver metastases)
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 3 x ULN (≤ 5 x ULN if liver metastases) Total bilirubin
≤ 1.5 x ULN

- Electrolytes, as follows (≤ 10 days prior to randomization): Magnesium ≥ lower limit of
normal (LLN)

- Negative pregnancy test ≤ 72 hours prior to randomization (females of childbearing
potential only)

Exclusion Criteria:

- Documented or symptomatic central nervous system metastases

- History of another primary cancer, except:

Curatively treated in situ cervical cancer, or Curatively resected non melanoma skin
cancer, or Other primary solid tumor curatively treated with no known active disease
present and no treatment administered for ≥ 2 years prior to randomization

- Subjects whose only site of metastatic disease is a single spiculated lung nodule are
assumed to have a second lung primary and are excluded unless there is unequivocal
pathological confirmation of metastasis of the SCCHN primary

- Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

- Prior systemic treatment for metastatic and/or recurrent SCCHN Subjects with
recurrent disease may have received re irradiation; however subjects who received
chemotherapy concomitantly with re irradiation are excluded

- Prior systemic chemotherapy for SCCHN as part of the initial multimodality treatment
for locally advanced disease if completed < 6 months prior to randomization

- Prior cisplatin containing induction chemotherapy followed by cisplatin containing
chemoradiotherapy

- Prior anti EGFr antibody therapy (eg, cetuximab) or treatment with small molecule
EGFr inhibitors (eg, gefitinib, erlotinib, lapatinib)

- Subjects requiring immunosuppressive agents (eg, methotrexate and cyclosporine),
however corticosteroids are allowed

- Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any component of the study drugs

- Major surgery requiring general anesthesia and a significant incision (ie, larger
than what is required for placement of central venous access, percutaneous feeding
tube, or biopsy) ≤ 28 days or minor surgery (excluding central venous catheter
placement, percutaneous feeding tube, and biopsy) ≤ 14 days prior to randomization.
Subjects must have recovered from surgery related toxicities.

- Clinically significant cardiovascular disease (including myocardial infarction,
unstable angina, symptomatic congestive heart failure, serious uncontrolled cardiac
arrhythmia) ≤ 1 year prior to randomization

- History of interstitial lung disease eg, pneumonitis or pulmonary fibrosis or
evidence of interstitial lung disease on baseline chest computerized tomography (CT)
scan

- Symptomatic peripheral neuropathy grade ≥ 2 based on the Common Terminology Criteria
for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v3.0

- Grade ≥ 3 hearing loss based on the CTCAE v3.0 Auditory/Ear (Hearing [without
monitoring program])

- Subjects not recovered from all previous acute radiotherapy related toxicities

- Active infection requiring systemic treatment or any uncontrolled infection ≤ 14 days
prior to randomization

- Known positive test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis C
virus, chronic hepatitis B infection (testing is not required in the absence of
clinical suspicion)

- Any co morbid condition that would increase risk of toxicity (eg, suspected or
confirmed dihydropyrimidine deficiency)

- Other investigational procedures are excluded

- Subject currently is enrolled in or ≤ 30 days since ending other investigational
device or drug study(s), or subject is receiving other investigational agents(s)

- Subject who is pregnant or breast feeding

- Man or woman of child bearing potential not consenting to use adequate contraceptive
precautions ie, double barrier contraceptive methods (eg, diaphragm plus condom)
during the course of the study and for 6 months after the last investigational
product(s) administration for women, and 1 month for men

- Subject unwilling or unable to comply with study requirements

- Previously randomized into this study or Amgen study 20050251

- Subject has any kind of disorder that compromises the ability of the subject to give
written informed consent and/or to comply with study procedures