Transfer of Cardiome rights from Astellas to Merck

I was pleased to help Cardiome with its consent to the assignment by Astellas to Merck of Astellas' interest in Cardiome's vernakalant program.

On July 26, 2011, Cardiome announced that it consented to the transfer of rights for the development and commercialization of vernakalant (IV) in Canada, Mexico and the United States, from Astellas to Merck.

The Astellas Cardiome agreement provided that the Agreement could not be assigned "without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed."

All terms, responsibilities and payments that Astellas committed to under the original collaboration and license agreement are now assumed by Merck without change.