Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

MRK’s Vorapaxar is on life support, but this is old news:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/13/heart-merck-idUSN1E7AC03120111113

The primary goal of the Tracer study was a reduction in a combination of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for chest pain and need for artery clearing procedures. After two years, 18.5 percent of patients on vorapaxar and 19.9 percent of patients who received a placebo had suffered one of those adverse events. The 8 percent relative difference was not considered to be statistically significant. All patients in the study were already on standard blood thinners, primarily aspirin and Plavix or just aspirin.

[The big problem]: Bleeding rates were nearly 40 percent higher in vorapaxar patients, and there was a three-fold increase in intracranial hemorrhage.

At one time, Vorapaxar (f/k/a TRA) was considered the most promising drug in Schering-Plough’s pipeline.