AstraZeneca secures $400 million deal for heart failure treatment commercial rights

AstraZeneca tidied up its portfolio of drugs today with a US$400 million deal selling commercial rights to its medicine for heart failure and hypertension.

The agreement with Germany's Cheplapharm for Atacand and Atacand Plus covers more than 70 countries and allows Astra to focus on newer medicines in its main therapy areas.

Astra will continue to manufacture and supply the medicine during a three-year transition period.

Cheplapharm already has rights to Atacand in Europe, with today's agreement ensuring continued patient access in countries including Canada, Brazil and Australia.

Astra's Ruud Dobber, BioPharmaceuticals executive vice president, said: "This agreement forms part of our strategy to carefully manage the mature medicines, enabling reinvestment in our main therapy areas to bring innovative new medicines to patients.”

Cheplapharm will pay an initial $250 million and the remainder in the first half of next year.

Cambridge-based Astra developed Atacand in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical, with each company having exclusive rights in certain countries. The drugs last year generated sales of $148 million and profits of $89 million in the countries covered by today's agreement.

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