Cheplapharm buys rights to Atacand in more than 70 countries

Continuing its program of selling off rights to older drug brands, AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) today revealed it has agreed to sell the commercial rights to Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) and Atacand Plus (a fixed-dose combination of candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide) in around 70 countries globally to Germany’s Cheplapharm Arzneimittel.

Atacand is a prescription medicine approved for the treatment of heart failure (HF) and hypertension. Atacand Plus is approved for the treatment of hypertension.

Ruud Dobber, executive vice president of the AstraZeneca BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, 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 previously acquired the rights to Atacand in Europe and will now ensure continued patient access to this important established medicine in additional countries across the globe.”