SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, FRANCE--(Marketwire - May 13, 2008) - NicOx S.A. (Eurolist: COX) today announced that Merck & Co., Inc. has initiated the first in a series of planned clinical studies, in mild to moderate hypertensive patients, under the companies’ collaborative agreement to develop new nitric oxide-donating antihypertensive agents using NicOx’ proprietary technology. Three drug candidates have now been selected from the companies’ joint research program, of which two have completed initial dose ranging studies in healthy volunteers under the exploratory clinical study paradigm with encouraging results.
