Phase III EPOCH study evaluating MK 8931 (verubecestat) in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease halted- Merck Inc

Merck Inc announced that it will be stopping protocol 017, also known as the EPOCH study, a Phase II/III study evaluating MK 8931 (verubecestat) in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Merck is stopping the study following the recommendation of the external Data Monitoring Committee (eDMC), which assessed overall benefit/risk during a recent interim safety analysis, and determined that there was "virtually no chance of finding a positive clinical effect."

The eDMC noted that safety signals observed in the study "are not sufficient to warrant stopping study 017," and recommended that protocol 019, also known as APECS, which is evaluating verubecestat in people with prodromal Alzheimer's disease, continue unchanged. Results from protocol 019 are expected in February 2019. Results from EPOCH will be analyzed and presented at an upcoming scientific meeting.