Merck & Co.(MRK) Just Discontinued This Major Pipeline Drug

Merck & Co. Inc. made a big announcement over its osteoporosis pipeline drug, odanacatib. The company is discontinuing the development of the drug, citing that the overall benefit-risk profile does not support filing or further development.

Odanacatib or MK-0822, which was being developed as a once-weekly oral treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, showed an increased risk of stroke.

Back in September of 2014, Merck presented positive results from a pivotal phase III fracture outcomes study evaluating the use of odanacatib in postmenopausal women suffering from osteoporosis. The study showed that treatment through odanacatib reduced the risk of osteoporotic fractures but found that a higher number of adjudicated stroke events occurred in the odanacatib arm.

This data will be presented at the upcoming Annual Meeting of American Society for Bone Mineral Research (ASBMR) in Atlanta in September.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) and have not been compensated for this article.