From Pharma Times:
Head of research at Merck, Peter Kim, made special mention of the Phase II drug MK-859, which raised levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol by more than 50% in clinical trials, without raising blood pressure or causing serious cardiovascular side effects.
PharmaGossip notes:
MK-859 is a member of the same class of medicines as torcetrapib, Pfizer’s high-profile experimental medicine that was discontinued earlier this month after it was linked to elevated blood pressure and a worrisome number of deaths.
Merck definitely would have a head start in the market due to the halt of testing and production of Pfizer’s drug torcetraphib. As Alan Milstein points out, torcetraphib was sure to be the “Mother of all Blockbusters”, and the door is certainly wide open for Merck and its new drug MK-859 to step right in and reap the benefits.
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Cary Byrd, President of eDrugSearch.com
