By Michael Calia
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) on Thursday said it plans to conduct
a Phase 3 trial for a drug to prevent an infection in bone marrow
patients.
Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck is developing the drug,
letermovir, with Germany's AiCuris GmbH & Co., which focuses on
developing treatments for potentially fatal infectious
diseases.
The companies said Thursday that letermovir met both primary
efficacy endpoints in a Phase 2 trial studying the effectiveness of
the drug in preventing human cytomegalovirus.
"We are very pleased to see the encouraging data regarding the
efficacy and tolerability of our innovative drug for treatment of
CMV infection among transplant recipients published in this
prestigious journal," AiCuris Chief Executive Helga
Rübsamen-Schaeff said, referring to the results being published in
the New England Journal of Medicine.
Merck plans to start the Phase 3 trial during the first half of
this year.
AiCuris sold world-wide development and commercialization rights
for letermovir to Merck in 2012.
Shares of Merck fell 43 cents to $55.41 in early trading. The
stock is up about 11% so far this year.
Write to Michael Calia at michael.calia@wsj.com
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