Cardiome has received a $15 million milestone payment from its collaboration with Merck, through an affiliate.
Reportedly, the milestone was triggered by the submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), seeking marketing approval for vernakalant (iv) in the EU by Merck.
The MAA was received by EMEA and after validation of the submission, the Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) will co-ordinate the review.
In April 2009, Merck and Cardiome announced a collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of vernakalant, an investigational candidate for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Bob Rieder, chairman and CEO of Cardiome, said: “Merck has done an exemplary job in filing for European approval so quickly, and I would like to thank both the Cardiome and Merck teams who have worked hard to ensure the timeliness of this submission.”