Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AEGR): Cheers and Jeers for Amgen, Inc. (AMGN)’s Pipeline

A novel approach to heart failure treatment
Heart failure is the reduction in systolic output, or inability of the heart muscle to pump adequate blood to different parts of the body to meet their metabolic demands. Omecamtiv mecarbil, a cardiac-specific myosin activator, takes a different approach to heart failure treatment by targeting the ATP-dependent motor protein myosin. Chemical energy, which is stored in ATP, is converted into mechanical energy, allowing the myosin protein to produce a power stroke resulting in contraction.

Cardiac specific myosin activators target the central feature of heart failure, reduction in ability of the heart muscles to contract or shrink. As such, they present potentially a safer and effective alternative to existing heart failure treatments that primarily focus on the pathophysiology of the disease.

Analyst opinions
Analysts have differing opinions on the results of omecamtiv mecarbil. Christopher Granger of Duke University Medical Center finds them disappointing with little hope from the second trial despite the favorable response observed in high-dose group.  However, a specialist in heart failure and president of the American Heart Association, Mariell Jessup, opines that it is too early to write off the drug.

Conclusion
The development of AMG-145 is a clear positive for Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) given the drug’s importance in the biotech’s pipeline. Omecamtiv mecarbil has potential as it represents a new and different approach to treatment of acute heart failure. I like Amgen just off the strength of the recent Onyx acquisition, but investors should closely follow results of clinical trials of these two candidates and assign value to them only after studying them carefully.

The article Cheers and Jeers for Amgen’s Pipeline originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Kanak Kanti, De.

Kanak Kanti De has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.