Merck (MRK) announced new data from two pivotal Phase III efficacy trials for suvorexant, the investigational medicine company is developing for the treatment of insomnia.
In the studies, suvorexant significantly reduced the time it took patients to fall asleep and increased the time that patients stayed asleep as early as the first night and at the three-month time point compared to placebo. Merck noted that the investigational medicine met statistical significance for all primary endpoints except for one measurement at month 3 in one of the trials. These late-breaking data were presented today at SLEEP 2012, the 26th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Darryle Schoepp, senior vice president and head of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology franchise, Merck Research Laboratories, stated, "Suvorexant approaches insomnia differently than other medicines because it helps patients to sleep by targeting and blocking orexins, which play a role in keeping people awake. We're excited about the Phase III results and the potential of suvorexant to become the first in a new class of medicines to help patients with insomnia."
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