Data on heart benefits of Amgen drug key to unlocking sales

New York

DATA that should help unlock the sales potential of a potent new cholesterol medicine will be unveiled at the American College of Cardiology meeting this week as the future of the only rival drug rests with the courts in an ongoing patent dispute.

Highly anticipated results from a 27,500-patient trial of Amgen Inc's Repatha will be presented on Friday at the meeting in Washington, informing doctors and investors of just how much the expensive injectable drug cut the risk of heart attack, stroke and death in people with heart disease already taking maximum doses of cholesterol-lowering statins, such as Lipitor.