The cardiology community is increasingly questioning the value of adding on a variety of lipid therapies to treatment with highly effective statins, based on accumulating evidence of the lack of value of affecting cholesterol parameters other than LDL.

With three large outcomes studies to read out interim or final results, 2012 is likely to be a pivotal year for Merck’s R&D, even as it rebalances its traditionally first-in-class emphasis to a hybrid model that also embraces best in class.

NIH's early termination of the AIM-HIGH trial does further damage to combination therapy for increasing HDL cholesterol and lowering triglycerides in patients with well-controlled LDL cholesterol.