EU OKs Amgen Drug for Dialysis Patients

Amgen Inc. said European regulators had approved its experimental drug that helps restore normal levels of calcium and other minerals in patients undergoing kidney dialysis.

The drug, called Mimpara, also was approved for patients with cancer of the parathyroid glands. It was approved in March in the U.S., where it is sold under the brand name Sensipar.

S.G. Cowen analyst Eric Schmidt has estimated the drug would post global sales of $320 million in 2008, making it a moderate-size product for the world’s largest biotechnology company.