Amgen will sink at least $50 million into a collaboration with Servier focused on cardiovascular disease drugs, both marketed and in research and development.

The US biotechnology giant has snapped up rights to the French drugmaker's first-in-class heart drug ivabradine, which is approved in Europe under the brand name Procoralan for the treatment  chronic heart failure and stable angina in patients with elevated heart rates.

The firm also has an exclusive option to develop and commercialise Servier's investigational molecule S38844 - currently in Phase II for heart failure - for cardiovascular diseases in the US.

On the other side of the fence, Servier has obtained rights to commercialise omecamtiv mecarbil - an activator of cardiac myosin being assessed for heart failure in patients with systolic dysfunction - in Europe. 

Both parties can exercise their options for the investigational therapies up to the end of certain Phase II studies.

Amgen will make a one-time upfront payment of $50 million to Servier, and the latter also stands to receive future milestone and royalty payments for ivabradine. 

Other financial details - including the terms linked with Amgen's option for S38844 and Servier's option for omecamtiv mecarbil - remain under wraps.