Merck (MRK) announced that its investigational oral therapy, Enlicitide Decanoate, significantly lowered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in a late-stage trial for hypercholesterolemia.
Hypercholesterolemia, marked by high LDL-C levels, affects nearly 86 million adults in the U.S. and raises cardiovascular disease risk.
At week 24, patients on Enlicitide showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in LDL-C versus placebo. The drug also reduced non-HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and lipoprotein levels.
Adverse event-related discontinuations were low and similar across treatment groups. The study enrolled adults with hypercholesterolemia already on moderate-to-high intensity statins or those intolerant to statins.
Merck stated it will share the findings with global regulators and present the data at an upcoming scientific congress. According to Merck Research Laboratories President Deal Y. Li, this marks the third late-stage trial confirming Enlicitide’s LDL-C lowering benefits.
MRK shares were slightly higher in pre-market trading, though the stock remains down around 15% in 2025 YTD and nearly 28% over the past 12 months.