Merck discontinues Phase III diabetes drug
Executive Summary
Merck hopes to file an NDA for antidiabetic DP-IV inhibitor in 2006 after terminating its Phase III MK-767 diabetes agent. Development of MK-767 was halted after long-term safety study identified a "rare form" of malignant tumors in mice, Merck says. MK-767 is the second Merck product to fail Phase III in as many weeks; the company recently terminated the substance P antagonist aprepitant (MK-0869) for depression (1"The Pink Sheet" Nov. 17, 2003, p. 34)...
You may also be interested in...
Merck Gets Second Chance On Dual PPAR: Will Develop Bristol’s Muraglitazar
Merck's co-development agreement for Bristol Myers-Squibb's Phase III muraglitazar gives the company a second chance to market a dual PPAR agonist
Merck Adds To Phase III Pipeline With Lundbeck Sleep-Aid Gaboxadol
Merck's $270 mil. licensing deal for Lundbeck's Phase III sleep disorder agent gaboxadol could give Merck a fifth new product approval around the time that Zocor comes off patent
Merck Drops Strict “No Merger” Policy, But Still Prefers Licensing Deals
Merck appears to be distancing itself from a blanket "no merger" policy by offering a formula under which it would consider a large-scale transaction