Verubecestat belongs to a group of experimental Alzheimer’s drugs that prevent the formation of abnormal protein clusters in the brain, which are believed to play a role in the disease, according to the report.
Industry experts say the failed trial represents a substantial setback for the drugmaker.
“While we are disappointed that a benefit was not observed in this study, our work continues [to study the impact of] verubecestat in people with less advanced disease,” said Roger Perlmutter, MD, PhD, president of Merck Research Laboratories.
Merck expects results for a trial of verubecestat involving early-stage Alzheimer’s patients in February 2019.
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