Skip to main content

Merck drug side effects: Failed, Taken off Market

A view of the Merck & Co. campus in Linden, New Jersey March 9, 2009.
Well Not expected serious side effects arise in a huge study of a Merck & Co long-acting niacin drug aimed at raising good HDL cholesterol, according to data released on Saturday, possibly adding another nail to the coffin of niacin therapy for heart patients.

Merck has already given up on the drug that combines extended-release niacin with an experimental agent called laropiprant, designed to prevent the uncomfortable facial flushing associated with niacin.

When it was announced that the drug called Tredaptive had failed to prevent heart attacks, strokes, death and other complications in heart patients also taking drugs to lower bad LDL cholesterol, Merck said it would not seek U.S. approval and would stop selling it in the dozens of other countries where it was already available.

A European medical journal last week said the drug caused concerning muscle weakness, especially in Asian patients.

But the results presented on Saturday at the American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in San Francisco painted an even more troubling picture of the medicine.

Researchers found patients taking the Merck drug had significantly higher rates of bleeding - 2.5 percent vs. 1.9 percent - and infections - 8.0 percent vs. 6.6 percent - that they called unexpected.

Significantly higher numbers of patients taking Tredaptive also experienced serious health problems that researchers called known side effects of niacin. Those included new onset diabetes - 9.1 percent vs. 7.3 percent - diabetic complications - 11.1 percent vs. 7.5 percent - and gastrointestinal problems - 4.8 percent vs. 3.8 percent.

Niacin, a form of vitamin B, has been used for many years in the belief that its HDL raising powers would help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Professor Jane Armitage, who led the study called HPS2-Thrive, called the findings disappointing.

"Still," she said, "finding out a drug is not helping people is just as important as finding that it has benefits."

But Dr. Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at Cleveland Clinic, had some serious criticism about the study's design, execution and conclusions, and was not prepared to write off niacin therapy just yet for patients with very low HDL levels.

"Sometimes large and simple trials are large and sloppy trials," he said.

Among his concerns Nissen cited the very large number of Asians in the study that could have skewed the results because Asians tend to not tolerate high dose niacin. Nissen also said the baseline LDL levels of 66 for patients in the study were unrealistically low and that those with higher LDL levels may have benefited from the drug.

The trial was not designed to show whether the adverse side effects were caused by the niacin or the anti-flushing drug, another potential failing.

But Armitage, a professor at the University of Oxford, said the results were consistent with an earlier failed niacin study that did not include laropiprant and that many of the side effects are known to be associated with niacin.

"We now know that its adverse side effects outweigh the benefits when used with current treatments," she said.

Nissen was not so sure, saying this was not the final nail in the niacin therapy coffin.

"There are some nails in the coffin. But it doesn't absolutely answer the question," he said of the study. "I don't know that it was the niacin. They may be right, but they may be wrong."

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o