Merck & Co vorapaxar meets goals, but raises bleeding problem

8 February 2012

US drug giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) yesterday announced the top-line results of the TRA-2P (Thrombin Receptor Antagonist in Secondary Prevention of athero-thrombotic ischemic events) study of vorapaxar which met its primary goal but also revealed a problem.

Merck is developing vorapaxar, an investigational oral Protease Activated Receptor 1 (PAR-1) thrombin receptor antagonist, for the prevention of thrombosis, or clot formation, and the reduction of cardiovascular events.

The TRA-2P study showed that the addition of vorapaxar to standard of care significantly reduced the risk of the protocol-specified primary endpoint of the composite of cardiovascular death (CVD), heart attack (myocardial infarction, or MI), stroke or urgent coronary revascularization compared to standard of care.

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