By Mia Lamar Amgen Inc. (AMGN) said Friday that a study evaluating its Sensipar drug for effectiveness in reducing the risk of mortality and cardiovascular events in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease failed to meet its primary endpoint. Sensipar--which is marketed as Mimpara in Europe--was first approved in 2004 to treat thyroid problems in patients with kidney disease and cancer. The company recorded $808 million in global sales of the drug last year. Amgen said Friday it undertook the Phase 3 trial of Sensipar to discover whether the drug could positively impact the high rates of mortality and incidences like heart failure experienced by patients with chronic kidney disease that are receiving dialysis. Results, however, were not statistically significant, Amgen said. The company noted analyses from the study are ongoing and will be submitted for presentation at a major medical meeting later this year. Amgen, the biggest stand-alone biotechnology company, has been pursuing deals to bolster its research-and-development pipeline as sales growth slows for older drugs. Shares were recently off 26 cents to $68.84. Write to Mia Lamar at mia.lamar@dowjones.com
