Aggrastat (tirofiban hydrochloride), a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor, is used for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes, including unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction.
Developed by Merck, Aggrastat was launched in the US in 1998, and is currently available in 82 countries worldwide. Merck continues to market Aggrastat outside the US, including Europe, where 2005 sales for Aggrastat were approximately $88 million.
Merck sold the US rights to Aggrastat to Guilford Pharmaceuticals in 2003, which was subsequently acquired by MGI Pharma in 2005. Total US sales for the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor class in 2005 were in excess of $450 million, of which Aggrastat sales comprised $10.9 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, Medicure will pay MGI Pharma $19 million plus the purchase of existing inventory, and will make certain royalty payments to Merck based on net sales of Aggrastat in the US.
“There are a number of significant benefits to Medicure resulting from this acquisition,” commented Medicure’s vice president of market and business development, Moray Merchant. “Aggrastat gives the company immediate revenues; it is a product with considerable sales growth potential given its lack of sustained sales support for the past several years; and it allows us to commercially leverage the excellent relationships we have already established with leading acute cardiovascular centers in the US through our MC-1 clinical development.”
In addition, Merck has acquired the non-North American right of first refusal on future product opportunities combining MC-1 with Aggrastat. MC-1, Medicure’s lead cardioprotective product, is expected to begin a pivotal phase III study later this year as a treatment to reduce ischemic reperfusion injury in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.