Heart failure notches another win as Merck, Bayer's sGC stimulator meets in Phase III

Another new mechanism for heart failure passed a major hurdle as partners Merck and Bayer announced Monday that vericiguat met the primary endpoint in the Phase III VICTORIA trial in patients with worsening chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) said the sGC stimulator met the primary endpoint of a reduced risk of heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular (CV) death in the 5,050 patient trial. Patients in the study received either vericiguat or placebo on top of standard of care therapy; Merck said 14.5% of patients were on Entresto sacubitril/vasartan from Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) at baseline. ...