Merck Halts Development of Parkinson’s Drug on Lack of Benefit
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Merck & Co. said it will end development of the experimental drug preladenant for Parkinson’s disease because a preliminary review of the data from late-stage clinical trials suggests it doesn’t work.
The drugmaker said it will stop the extension portions of the trials and no longer plans to file for marketing approval of the medicine. There were two studies that added preladenant to levodopa, the standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and one that tested it as stand-alone care, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based Merck said in a statement.