MSD

Pharmafocus | February 15, 2017

MSD, known as Merck in North America, has announced that it has been forced to cancel a Phase 2/3 trial studying the potential therapeutic effects of verubecestat in Alzheimer’s patients. The failure of the drug to show efficacy draws into question how amyloid plaques are being targeted and whether this is now a viable target for treatment. The trial was stopped by an independent panel of experts that concluded that there was “virtually no chance of finding a positive clinical effect”. The ne...

European Pharmaceutical Review | June 08, 2017

BioPharmaChem Ireland, the Ibec group that represents business in the sector, said the announcement of MSD to invest €280 million in Ireland over the next three years bolsters the country’s status as a thriving hub for the biopharmaceutical sector....

MSD | July 25, 2017

European regulators have backed expanding approval of MSD’s immunotherapy Keytruda to include the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, a type of bladder cancer. Clearance of the drug is recommended for adult patients with the condition who have received prior platinum-containing chemotherapy, as well as those not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. “There is significant need for new options that address the treatment gaps for patients in Europe with local...

MSD | October 12, 2017

MSD has decided to pull the plug on its late-stage cholesterol drug anacetrapib after a lacklustre performance in clinical trials. The company said it would not file for approval of the investigational cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor on the back of a review of its clinical profile that included discussions with external experts....