Independent trial monitors have crunched data from a massive 30,000 patient cholesterol trial underway at Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) and have recommended that the trial continue as planned.
The fact that independent monitors evaluated efficacy and safety data to consider the likelihood of futility in this trial and still came away supporting its continuation is in itself a big win for Merck because similar programs at competitors have been shuttered.
Tapping into a massive market
Despite the widespread use of cholesterol-lowering statins, more than 600,000 Americans die every year because of heart disease, and without additional treatment options, that number could climb given estimates that as many as 76 million Americans suffer from high cholesterol levels.
