Merck's blood vessel disorder drug succeeds in late-stage study

[October 11, 2022]  (Reuters) -Merck & Co said on Monday a therapy it gained through the drugmaker's $11.5 billion acquisition of Acceleron Pharma last year met the main goal of a late-stage study in patients with a progressive blood vessel disorder.

Merck's shares rose 2.5% at $89.79 in premarket trading.

Sotatercept, when compared to placebo, significantly extended how far patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) could walk in six minutes.

Merck last year bought Acceleron to gain access to the treatment sotatercept, as it sought to bulk up its pipeline ahead of blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda losing key patents in 2028.

At that time, Merck had forecast that PAH could become a $7.5 billion market by 2026.

The trial data validates the Acceleron acquisition, and also supports Merck's budding portfolio of cardiovascular drugs, Truist Securities analyst Robyn Karnauskas said in a note.

The Merck logo is seen at a gate to the Merck & Co campus in Rahway, New Jersey, U.S., July 12, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

The cardiovascular portfolio, expected to be made up of eight approved drugs, could bring in $10 billion in peak sales in 2030, Merck has said.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare type of high blood pressure that affects an estimated 40,000 people in the United States, according to Merck.

(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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