Merck's Potential Blockbuster Cholesterol Pill Succeeds in Late-stage Studies
(Reuters) -Merck's oral cholesterol pill succeeded in two late-stage studies, marking a win for the drugmaker as it focuses on the development of growth drivers beyond its cancer drugs and vaccines.
The company is searching for its next blockbuster candidate as its major revenue driver, Keytruda, is expected to lose patent protection by the end of the decade.
Merck's non-statin cholesterol drug, enlicitide decanoate, is being tested for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, a condition that causes elevated buildup of fat in the blood vessels and can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Enlicitide works by blocking PCSK9, a protein that plays a crucial role in regulating cholesterol levels, while statins block an enzyme the liver uses to make cholesterol.
BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said Merck's drug could potentially provide a "multi-billion dollar opportunity" that expands the PCSK9 market beyond current injectable therapies.
The drug showed meaningful reductions in LDL-C cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad cholesterol", when compared to placebo and other oral non-statin therapies, Merck said.
However, Leerink analysts have noted that Astrazeneca's AZD0780 is a "credible threat" as it has shown a 50.7% reduction in LDL-C levels during a trial.
Merck has not given the details on LDL-C reduction for enlicitide.
The drug was tested in patients who have a history of, or are at risk for a type of heart disease, and were treated with a statin.
Shares of Merck were up 2% in premarket trading.
Verve Therapeutics is also developing a gene therapy to reduce high cholesterol levels, which is expected to be used in combination with other drugs.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle announces As Ever rosé with release date imminent
Meghan Markle is expanding her As Ever brand with its first alcoholic offering. On her company's website on Friday, the Duchess of Sussex announced the release of a rosé wine. The news came as the company restocked some of its products after its initial launch in April when everything sold old in less than an hour. 'With soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality and a lasting finish, this bespoke blend is launching just in time for summer entertaining,' a description for the rosé reads. More details will be released before the wine is available for purchase on July 1 at 11am ET. As Ever's re-launch on Friday also introduced two new products, a $28 Limited-Edition Orange Blossom Honey and a $9 Apricot Spread. The spread, which comes after Meghan released her viral raspberry jam, is also sold in a Keepsake Packaging for $14. However, it quickly sold out. 'Our Apricot Spread is made with gorgeous fruit and a touch of sweetness, letting the apricot's bright flavor shine,' a description for the new product reads. 'The smooth texture and gentle tartness pair beautifully with everything from toast to cheese boards.' Unfortunately, the new honey is also sold out. Meghan also restocked some of the products she sold back in April. This includes her $15 Flower Sprinkles, $14 Crepe Mix, $14 Shortbread Cookie Mix with Flower Sprinkles, and $12 Herbal Teas, which come in three flavors: hibiscus, lemon ginger, and peppermint. However, all three tea flavors all already sold out. While Meghan didn't restock her $9 Rasberry Spread, it will be coming soon to fans, according to As Ever's website. On June 16, Meghan announced that As Ever was launching the new products. 'Oh yes, honey…sweet things await. Mark your calendars for June 20 at 8 a.m. PT - we're bringing back your favorites, plus some delicious surprises you won't want to miss!' she wrote on Instagram. She's also noted that her company is still expanding. During an interview with Fast Company in May, she said she's planning to 'assess' new avenues for her brand, with more As Ever products to be announced during the first quarter of 2026. 'I want to really focus on the hospitality angle of As Ever, but as we take the learnings, we can understand what the customer's needs are seasonally,' she said. 'My heart is very deeply in my home. Everything comes from being rooted in the love story of your home and garden, and then you can imagine different verticals coming out of that.' Asked whether she might explore moving into clothing one day, Meghan responded: 'Fashion is a category I plan to explore down the line because I find it to be an intriguing space for me.' In April, Meghan also offered a special deal to customers who bought products from her business after everything was already out of stock. On X at the time, one fan shared the email they got from As Ever, where they learned that they weren't getting the limited-edition honey they paid for. Instead, they were getting a full refund. However, the customers involved in the business snafu were still receiving an item of their choosing for free. Megahn also sent a signed message and apology to customers who bought an As Ever product after it sold out. 'When our next limited edition item drop happens, you won't just be the first to be the first to receive it,' the duchess wrote in her note at the time. 'No need to order, it will come to you in the mail as a gift from me. Thank you again for your understanding and support, and for continuing to celebrate us during the exciting time of launch.'
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Social Security's 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Estimate Is Getting a "Trump Bump" -- Here's How Much Extra You Might Receive
As many as nine out of 10 retirees rely on their Social Security income to cover some portion of their expenses. Estimates for Social Security's 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) are climbing, and President Trump's tariff and trade policy looks to be the culprit. Though an above-average COLA for a fifth-consecutive year would be welcome on paper, retirees continue to get the short end of the stick when it comes to annual raises. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Last month, Social Security's retired-worker benefit made history, with the average payout topping $2,000 for the first time since the program's inception. Although this represents a modest monthly benefit, it's nevertheless proved vital to helping aging workers cover their expenses. In each of the prior 23 years, pollster Gallup surveyed retirees about their reliance on the Social Security income they're receiving. Between 80% and 90% of respondents noted it was a "major" or "minor" income source. In other words, only around one in 10 retirees could, in theory, make do without their Social Security check. For an overwhelming majority of Social Security beneficiaries, nothing is more important than knowing precisely how much they'll receive each month -- and that begins with the program's annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which is announced during the second week of October. This year's COLA announcement will be of particular interest, with President Donald Trump's tariff and trade policies expected to directly affect how much Social Security beneficiaries will receive per month in 2026. But before digging into the specifics of how President Trump's policies are expected to impact the pocketbooks of seniors, survivors, and workers with disabilities, it's important to understand the building blocks of what Social Security's COLA is and why it matters. The program's COLA is effectively the "raise" passed along on a near-annual basis that accounts for the impact of inflation (rising prices) on benefits. For example, if a large basket of goods and services increased in cost by 3% from one year to the next, Social Security benefits would need to climb by a commensurate amount, or buying power for Social Security recipients would decrease. In the 35 years following the issuance of the first retired-worker check in January 1940, COLAs were assigned at random by special sessions of Congress. Only a total of 11 COLAs were passed along during this timeline, with no adjustments made in the 1940s. Beginning in 1975, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was adopted as Social Security's inflationary measure that would allow for annual cost-of-living adjustments. The CPI-W has over 200 spending categories, each of which has its own unique percentage weighting. These weightings are what allow the CPI-W to be expressed as a single figure each month, which leads to crisp month-to-month and year-to-year comparisons to see if prices are, collectively, rising (inflation) or declining (deflation). When calculating Social Security's COLA, only CPI-W readings from the third quarter (July through September) are taken into consideration. If the average CPI-W reading in the third quarter of the current year is higher than the comparable period of the previous year, inflation has occurred, and beneficiaries are due for a beefier payout. Following a decade of anemic raises in the 2010s -- three years during the decade (2010, 2011, and 2016) saw no COLA passed along due to deflation -- beneficiaries have enjoyed four consecutive years of above-average cost-of-living adjustments and are hoping for this streak to continue. A historic increase in U.S. money supply during the COVID-19 pandemic sent the prevailing rate of inflation soaring to a four-decade high. This resulted in COLAs of 5.9% in 2022, 8.7% in 2023, 3.2% in 2024, and 2.5% in 2025, respectively. For context, the average annual increase in benefits since 2010 is 2.3%. While estimates for Social Security's 2026 cost-of-living adjustment came in below this average shortly after President Donald Trump took office for his nonconsecutive second term, the script has now been flipped. Nonpartisan senior advocacy group The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) was forecasting a 2.2% COLA for 2026 as recently as March. Meanwhile, independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst Mary Johnson, who retired from TSCL last year, was calling for a 2.2% increase in April following the release of the March inflation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). After the release of the May inflation report from the BLS, both TSCL and Johnson are now forecasting a 2026 COLA of 2.5%. A 2.5% COLA would increase the average retired-worker benefit by $50 per month next year, as well as lift monthly checks for the typical worker with disabilities and survivor beneficiary by $40 and $39, respectively. This 0.3% increase in both forecasts over the past couple of months is estimated to boost the average Social Security payout (for all beneficiaries) by approximately $5.57 per month in 2026. This "Trump bump" is the result of the president's tariff and trade policies having a very modest inflationary impact on domestic prices. Charging a global import duty on all countries while imposing higher "reciprocal tariff rates" on dozens of countries that have historically run adverse trade imbalances with the U.S. can result in these higher costs being passed along to consumers. Though a lot can change with Trump's tariff and trade policy in the coming weeks and months, its current design points to a modest bump in the 2026 COLA. On paper, a fifth consecutive year where COLAs are above average (compared to the previous 16 years) probably sounds great. With the average retired-worker payout cresting $2,000 per month, an added $50 per month would be welcome in 2026. But the fact of the matter is that a 0.3% bump in COLA estimates since Trump introduced his tariff and trade policy doesn't remotely move the needle when it comes to what retirees have been shortchanged for more than a decade. Though the CPI-W is designed to be an all-encompassing measure of inflation, it has an inherent flaw that can be seen in its full name. Specifically, it tracks the spending habits of "urban wage earners and clerical workers," who, in many instances, are working-age Americans not currently receiving a Social Security benefit. Urban wage earners and clerical workers spend their money very differently than seniors. Whereas the former has a higher percentage of their monthly budgets devoted to things like education, apparel, and transportation, seniors spend a higher percentage on shelter and medical care services. Even though an overwhelming majority of Social Security beneficiaries are aged 62 and above, the CPI-W doesn't factor in this added importance of shelter and medical care services inflation. The end result for retirees has been a persistent decline in the buying power of a Social Security dollar. According to a study conducted by TSCL, the purchasing power of a Social Security dollar has dropped by 20% since 2010. A very modest "Trump bump" isn't going to offset this. What's more, the aforementioned two costs that matter most to retirees -- shelter and medical care services -- have had higher trailing-12-month (TTM) inflation rates than the annually issued Social Security COLA. The BLS inflation report for May showed TTM increases of 3.9% for shelter and 3% for medical care services, respectively. As long as the program's cost-of-living adjustment trails the annual inflation rate for these two key expenses, retirees will continue getting the short end of the stick. If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Social Security's 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Estimate Is Getting a "Trump Bump" -- Here's How Much Extra You Might Receive was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ready-to-eat meals sold at Walmart and Kroger recalled after multiple deaths
(WJW) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced a nationwide recall on some ready-to-eat meals sold at Walmart and Kroger stores as public health officials investigate a deadly Listeria outbreak. According to the FSIS, as of June 17, 2025, the outbreak has resulted in three reported deaths and one fetal loss, as well as 17 ill people in 13 states. How Dunkin' is celebrating National Iced Coffee Day As a result, the FSIS said, FreshRealm establishments in San Clemente, Calif., Montezuma, Ga., and Indianapolis, Ind., are recalling chicken fettuccine alfredo products that may be 'adulterated' with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm.) 'Out of an abundance of caution, the company is voluntarily recalling all products produced prior to June 17, 2025, that are available in commerce under the following brand names,' states the recall notice. Here's what to look for: 32.8-oz. tray packages containing 'MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese' with best-by date 06/27/25 or prior. 12.3 oz. tray packages containing 'MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese' with best-by date 06/26/25 or prior. 12.5 oz. tray packages containing 'HOME CHEF Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with pasta, grilled white meat chicken, and Parmesan cheese' with best-by date 06/19/25 or prior. The products bear the USDA mark of inspection on the product label as well as establishment numbers 'EST. P-50784,' 'EST. P-47770,' or 'EST. P-47718' printed on the side of the packaging. Vintage toy nets $156,000 at auction: Do you have one? Here's a look at the product labels, provided by FSIS: According to FSIS, the exact source of contamination has not yet been identified. The investigation is ongoing. Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are urged not to consume them. The products should be thrown away or returned. Health officials warn that Lm can cause listeriosis, which is described as a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. 'FSIS is sharing what is currently known regarding products associated with the outbreak as the agency continues to work with public health partners to identify whether a specific ingredient in the chicken fettucine alfredo may be the source of this strain of Lm,' reads the recall alert. CLICK HERE to learn more about the risk and symptoms of Lm. CLICK HERE to learn more about the recalled ready-to-eat meals and the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
