Cardiome Pharma Corp. said Merck is returning the global marketing and development rights for both the intravenous and oral formulations for vernakalant. The intravenous version of Cardiome's flagship product is sold as Brinavess IV and is approved in Europe for treating abnormal heart rhythm in adult patients. The companies said they will work together to ensure a smooth transition and continued availability to doctors and patients where the medicine is approved. Earlier this year, Cardiome slashed 85 per cent of its workers after Merck said it was terminating development of the oral version of vernakalant.
