Merck’s once-a-week diabetes drug effective in clinical study

An experimental once-a-week drug for type 2 diabetes being developed by Merck & Co proved effective in lowering blood sugar levels in a mid-stage clinical trial, according to data presented on Wednesday.


The pill, known as MK-3102, is from the same class of medicines as Merck’s successful daily diabetes drug Januvia, known as DPP-4 inhibitors.


The 685-patient study tested MK-3102 at five doses - ranging from 0.25 milligram to 25 mg - against a placebo, with the primary goal being reduction in A1c, a common measure of blood sugar.


After 12 weeks of treatment with the Merck drug, A1c was reduced 0.71 percent at 25 mg, 0.67 percent at 10 mg, 0.49 percent at 3 mg, 0.5 percent with 1 mg, and 0.28 percent for the lowest 0.25 mg dose. The reductions compared with placebo for all doses were deemed to be statistically significant, according to Merck, which presented the data on Wednesday at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting in Berlin.

Source: http://www.health.am/db/more/diabetes-drug-effective-in-clinical-study/

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