Cardiome signs deal with AOP Orphan to market CAF drug Brinavess

Canada-based Cardiome Pharma (TSX: COM) has signed an agreement with Austrian firm AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals to commercialize Brinavess (vernakalant intravenous) in select European markets. This follows adoption last week of the decision by the European Commission of the transfer of the centrally-approved marketing authorization for Brinavess, a treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation, from Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK) to Cardiome (The Pharma Letter June 27).

AOP Orphan will support biopharmaceutical company Cardiome in obtaining product registrations required for the marketing and sale of Brinavess in the AOP Orphan countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Under terms of the deal, AOP Orphan has agreed to specific annual commercial goals for Brinavess. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. The initial term of this commercial agreement began on July 1, 2013 for three years.