Amgen buries the last big CETP drug, marking the bitter end of a blockbuster quest
Amgen used its Q3 report today to quickly bury the last broadly focused CETP drug in the clinic, closing the final chapter in an R&D story that consumed billions of dollars in a fruitless chase by some of the biggest developers in the business for a major new heart drug.
Two years ago, when Amgen $AMGN R&D chief Sean Harper unveiled a $1.55 billion deal to buy Dezima — fronted with $300 million in cash— he happily speculated on the potential of adding another blockbuster to the cardio portfolio. The right CETP inhibition therapy, he felt, could have a big future by lowering LDL and raising HDL. And he was hopeful the new mid-stage drug he had just purchased could fit the bill.
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