Gilead to Acquire Myogen

Gilead Sciences, of Foster City, CA (www.gilad.com), has agreed to acquire Myogen for about $2.5 billion, a move aimed at gaining ownership of Ambrisentan, a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension that is in late-stage clinical trials. The drug is Myogen’s lead product candidate. Myogen expects to file a new-drug application for Ambrisentan with the FDA as early as the fourth quarter. British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline holds rights to the product outside of the US.