Maybe MRK is jerking around with it for some reason
Merck is NOT jerking it around for any reason. I can't believe anyone would actually even believe that for one second. Merck wants the drug to succeed, first and foremost. Secondly, you really think a Fortune 500 (Fortune 103, actually) is going to screw with it's own trial to "get the upperhand" on some crappy little Boston biotech with nothing but losses under its belt for years? Granted, '534 is a great drug (so far it would seem), but Merck could step on Ariad 20 times over if they wanted to be a real jerk about it, and put in a hostile bid for the company (of which 51% of institutional shareholders would highly likely approve of). Thirdly, and this is where it just gets silly, I think as an Ariad shareholder, we all think of this company as something more than it really is: it's not an Amgen (I heard someone once refer to Ariad's HQ as Ariad's "campus" - LOL!!!!)...all Ariad is, is a tiny 15 year old company that has a tremendous history of failures and poor management.
Having said that, Merck can't "jerk" the trial around and stall the final analysis - unless they are screwing with the patient population (which would give the FDA much reason to not approve the drug). Merck is waiting on final progression of the last patient (I believe)....isn't this trial based on "final progression" which will 'kick' in the final analysis? If Merck is "delayed" in the final analysis, it's because the patients are living longer - the placebo group, the drug group, or both.....
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
