Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) said that in a phase IIb study in 589 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed hyperlipidemia treated with anacetrapib as monotherapy or co-administered with atorvastatin, there were persistent lipid effects in the higher dose arms in both the monotherapy and co-administration treatment groups eight weeks after stopping active therapy with anacetrapib.
Anacetrapib is an investigational oral compound currently in Phase III trials that works by inhibiting the activity of CETP in the blood. CETP inhibition with anacetrapib decreases LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and increases HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. The effect of CETP inhibition on cardiovascular risk has yet to be established.
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