Amgen and Servier, a French pharmaceutical company, have advanced their cardiovascular drug collaboration, with Servier exercising its option to commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure in Europe as well in as the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia, which was added to the collaboration. The Commonwealth of Independent States presently includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

Amgen and Servier have also announced that the omecamtiv mecarbil Phase III development program will move forward in collaboration with Cytokinetics, a South San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company. Under the agreement, Servier will make a $10-million option exercise payment as well as future milestone and royalty payments to Amgen. Servier will assume a share of the development costs.

Source: Amgen