Amgen, Servier enter $50 million heart drug development deal

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Amgen will get rights to a drug for cardiovascular disease approved in the European Union under a new deal with French drug maker Servier, the two companies said Tuesday.

The drug, Procoralan (ivabradine) is used to threat chronic heart failure and stable angina in patients with elevated heart rates, and Amgen will also have an exclusive option to develop and commercialize an experimental Servier drug, S38844, for cardiovascular disease in the United States. That drug is currently in mid-stage clinical trials. The deal includes a $50 million upfront payment from Amgen plus future milestone and royalty payments.

"A critical unmet medical need remains for patients who don't respond adequately to current available therapies for heart failure and angina," Amgen EVP research and development Sean Harper said.

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