Amgen inks $650M deal, dives into cardio field

Impressed by new data on Cytokinetics' experimental heart failure drug, Amgen has decided to exercise its option to buy the rights to the therapy. The biotech giant-which paid $75 million for the option two years ago-will fork over an additional $50 million plus up to $600 million in milestones.

The move by Amgen marks a strategic entry into cardiovascular medicine. CK-1827452 is in a Phase II trial to test its ability to activate the protein cardiac myosin, which boosts the heart's ability to pump blood. Amgen will now take over future testing and commercialization work, according to a report by Andrew Pollack in the New York Times.

"After reviewing the data from the CK-1827452 clinical trials, we are excited about the opportunity to advance this molecule," said Amgen Executive Vice President for Research and Development Roger M. Perlmutter. "CK-1827452, with its novel mechanism of action, has potential utility in the treatment of heart failure patients around the world. We intend to move this molecule forward rapidly into larger and more definitive clinical trials."

- see the release on the deal
- read the report from the New York Times

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