Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

MRK Drops Lead Indication in Niacin Partnership with ARNA

[KOSP is presumably happy about this.]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060925/lam095.html?.v=57

>>
Arena Pharmaceuticals Announces Update on Partnership With Merck in Development of Niacin Receptor Agonists

Monday September 25, 4:15 pm ET

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA ) announced today that an investigational niacin receptor agonist that was being developed under its partnership with Merck & Co., Inc. to develop drugs for the treatment of atherosclerosis and other disorders is no longer in development for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Merck made the decision to discontinue development of MK-0354 following completion of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial that evaluated patients with dyslipidemia. Although MK-0354 is no longer being developed for the treatment of atherosclerosis, preclinical studies are underway to explore other possible indications for this compound. Also, exploration of additional investigational niacin receptor agonists for the treatment of atherosclerosis and related disorders will continue under the partnership.

"The data from the clinical trials of MK-0354 have provided valuable information and add to our understanding of the niacin receptor as we continue to evaluate its therapeutic potential," said Jack Lief, President and Chief Executive Officer of Arena. "We are pleased that, together with Merck, we will continue to conduct research to assess the therapeutic potential of MK-0354 and other niacin receptor agonists."

"We look forward to further evaluating the therapeutic potential of niacin receptor agonists through our partnership with Arena," said Kathleen Metters, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Basic Research, Merck Research Laboratories.

About Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is characterized by the collection of fatty material deposits, such as cholesterol, along artery walls. This fatty material thickens, hardens, and may eventually block the arteries, adversely affecting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke over time. Atherosclerosis accounts for nearly three out of every four deaths from cardiovascular disease. In 1999, U.S. community hospitals billed $26.2 billion for coronary atherosclerosis care. HDL cholesterol, commonly known as the "good" cholesterol, can help clear the fatty deposits from the walls of blood vessels and transport cholesterol to the liver for processing and removal from the body. Drugs that can influence the levels of HDL cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol, may potentially provide clinical benefits to patients by reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The niacin receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor, or GPCR, is believed to have potential in regulating plasma lipid profiles, including HDL.

About Arena Pharmaceuticals

Arena is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing oral drugs in four major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, central nervous system, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. Arena's most advanced product candidate, lorcaserin, is being investigated in a Phase 3 clinical trial program for the treatment of obesity. Arena's broad pipeline of novel compounds targeting G protein-coupled receptors, an important class of validated drug targets, includes compounds being evaluated for other serious diseases and disorders independently and with our partners, Merck & Co., Inc. and Ortho-McNeil, Inc.
<<