Merck Eyes Successor to Vioxx

Merck & Co. said Wednesday that a preliminary analysis of clinical trial data shows its successor drug to Vioxx didn’t increase patients’ risk of a cardiovascular events when compared with a traditional pain reliever, but that more people withdrew from the study because of other problems such as high blood pressure.

Merck said the complete analysis of the Arcoxia data was expected to be published later this year and would be included in the information it would give to the Food and Drug Administration in hopes of winning final approval to market the medicine.

In October 2004, the FDA told Merck that it wanted more safety and efficacy data on Arcoxia before it would grant final approval to sell the drug. Merck would not say when it planned to submit the additional data.

Merck pulled Vioxx from the market in September 2004 after a study showed that it increased patients’ risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Both Arcoxia and Vioxx belong to a category of drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors, which were developed to be gentler on the stomach than traditional pain relievers.

Merck shares rose 71 cents to $40.46.