Amgen receives FDA approval for heart failure drug

Amgen has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the US distribution of a drug it has designed to prevent heart failure, entitled Corlanor.

The FDA has cleared the medication for use by patients at a greater risk of cardiovascular failure, particularly by those who have problems with the lower-left part of their heart.

Vice-president of research and development at Amgen Sean Harper commented: "We are excited to introduce Corlanor, the first new chronic heart failure medicine approved by the FDA in nearly a decade, for patients who are at a significantly greater risk of hospitalisation due to worsening heart failure."

Corlanor has been available in the EU for some time, but now US patients will be able to benefit from it as well. Figures indicate that around 5.7 million people in the country suffer from heart failure-related symptoms, with this expected to increase by 46 percent over the next 15 years to reach 8.3 million affected individuals.