Goldman Sachs Reiterates Neutral Rating for Merck

In a comment published earlier today, the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. reiterated its Neutral rating for Merck & Co., Inc.

, but did not name a price target. Goldman Sachs said in its report “Roche's [F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.] decision to halt all clinical trials of its CETP inhibitor dalcetrapib due to futility will likely not inspire much confidence in MRK's anaceptraib, its CETP inhibitor in Phase III trials. While the compounds are clearly different, the failure of now 2 CETP inhibitors (PFE's torcetrapib in 2007 and Roche's dalcetrapib) suggests a major flaw in the CETP hypothesis that pharmacologically raising HDL will reduce clinical cardiac events.” Merck & Co., Inc. closed on Friday at $38.84.