AstraZeneca buys Omthera in $443m 'heart drug' deal In addition, Omthera shareholders will get contingent value rights (CVRs) of up to approximately $4.70 a share, or $120m in total, depending on the success of Omthera's experimental drug Epanova for treating patients with very high triglycerides, a type of blood fat that is bad for the heart. Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, said: "The number of people with elevated triglyceride levels is rising rapidly across the world, due in part to the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes. There is a clear need for effective and convenient alternatives to some of the existing treatments. Epanova offers real potential both as a distinctive monotherapy for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia and in combination with Crestor for patients at high risk of adverse cardiovascular events. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. AstraZeneca has the backing of Omthera shareholders holding around 60pc of the company. The British drugmaker also announced that the US Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction blocking generic manufacturers from distributing generic versions of Pulmicort Respules in the US until the court rules on AstraZeneca's appeal. As a condition of the injunction, AstraZeneca has had to post a bond of $72m. "We intend to vigorously defend the intellectual property rights protecting Pulmicort Respules." said Paul Hudson, executive vice president, North America. Shares in AstraZeneca rose 1.7pc in early trading in London.