Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

ESPR—Understood that long-term safety of ETC-1002 remains a risk. That’s why I emphasized the clean safety profile of Zetia in #msg-108404022.

If MRK were to pursue an acquisition of ESPR (as ‘jellybean’ suggested), MRK would of course have to see the non-public safety data ESPR plans to submit to the FDA in early 2015. (I.e., this would have to be a “friendly” rather than a hostile acquisition.) The mere fact that ETC-1002 is subject to a partial clinical hold on duration of treatment doesn’t rule out a deal with MRK, although it does make such a deal somewhat less likely.

The bottom line is that MRK has to try something in the way of lifecycle management with respect to the Zetia/Vytorin franchise; it's too big a franchise for MRK to simply let it go when the patents expire in about two years.