Cordaptive™ Cholesterol Drug - Merck & Co

Merck & Company announced that the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) had accepted it's New Drug Application for Cordaptive™ for a standard review. Cordaptive™, in earlier Phase I and II trials, has been shown to be effective in raising HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and lowering LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels.

Cordaptive™ is a combination of extended release Niacin and laropiprant (to help with a known side-effect of Niacin called "flushing").

In early September, Merck also reported that Phase III trials of Cordaptive™ had reduced LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, increased HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and reduced triglyceride levels compared to placebo.

During the trial, Cordaptive™ was given both as a monotherapy and also added to patients currently using statin therapy. Patients given Cordaptive™ showed significantly less flushing than those receiving only the extended release Niacin.

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