Merck to Suspend Availability of TREDAPTIVE Worldwide

Merck

, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced the company is taking steps to suspend the availability of TREDAPTIVE™ (extended-release niacin/laropiprant) tablets worldwide. TREDAPTIVE is not approved for use in the United States. Merck is taking these steps based on the current understanding of the preliminary data from the HPS2-THRIVE (Heart Protection Study 2-Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events) study, and in consultation with regulatory authorities. As previously reported by Merck (Dec. 20, 2012 news release), HPS2-THRIVE did not achieve its primary endpoint of reduction of major vascular events, and there was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of some types of