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Biotech / Medical : Merck -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: William Partmann who wrote (1161)	3/15/1999 7:50:00 PM
From: William F. Wager, Jr.	Respond to of 1580

Hi Wm...good news for Merck shareholders!!wfw.

To: William Partmann who wrote (1161)	3/15/1999 8:04:00 PM
From: William F. Wager, Jr.	Respond to of 1580

A more detailed report...WEST POINT, Pa. (Dow Jones)--Merck & Co. (MRK) said the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a new use for the drug Mevacor. In a press release Monday, Merck said the drug was indicated to help reduce the risk of first heart attack, unstable angina and coronary revascularization procedures in people with average total cholesterol, but whose HDL, or "good," cholesterol is below average. Merck said the drug should be used in addition to diet and other lifestyle changes as "part of a risk-reduction strategy" to lower total and LDL, or "bad," cholesterol in patients at risk for atheroslerotic vascular disease, when response to diet and non-drug measures alone hasn't been adequate. The basis for the new indication are the results from the Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study. Merck said the study showed that treatment with Mevacor 20 or 40 mg daily reduced the risk of a first major coronary event by 37% compared to placebo. The company said in absolute terms, during the study 3.5% of the participants taking Mevacor experienced a coronary even, compared with 5.5% of those taking placebo. Merck said the drug reduced risk of first heart attack by 40%, reduced risk of unstable angina, or worsening chest pain, by 32% and reduced risk of revascularization procedures, such as angioplasty or bypass surgery, by 33%. Merck discovers, makes and markets healthcare products for human beings and animals. --Bill