Merck's Cautious Statement Suggests Slim Chances Of Anacetrapib Success

On Tuesday, Merck & Co. (MRK) surprised the scientific community and investors when it announced that its Phase 3 REVEAL study succeeded. The Phase 3 study is evaluating Merck’s investigational cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor anacetrapib. The results came as a surprise as previous attempts by three other companies with their CETP inhibitors had failed. The press release initially generated excitement among investors but Merck’s cautious statement suggests that the benefits of the CETP inhibitor may not merit a regulatory filing.

A Brief History of CETP Inhibitors

Pfizer (PFE) was the first biopharmaceutical company to try its hand at developing a CETP inhibitor. This was back in 2006 when the company was looking at ways to prevent sales of its blockbuster drug Lipitor from declining due to upcoming generic competition.

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