Merck and Bayer unveil the data behind their CV ‘success,’ underwhelming the industry
Four months after Merck announced a surprise Phase III success on the heart drug they gave Bayer $1 billion for, the full data is out — and cardiologists, investors and payers are left wondering just how effective the drug really is.
The data, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and announced in the virtual American College of Cardiology meeting, showed that across 5,050 patients, vericiguat led to a 10% reduction in hospitalizations for heart failure. Although that met the primary endpoint — the composite of time until first death or hospitalization for heart failure — it underwhelmed, particularly as the drug did not lead to a statistically significant reduction in death.
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