By Matt Grossman

Merck & Co. Inc. said Tuesday that its islatravir investigational drug for preventing HIV-1 infection was well-tolerated by patients through 24 weeks of a Phase 2a study.

Most adverse events were mild and there were no serious drug-related adverse events among patients who got the drug, Merck said. Blood levels remained above the pre-specified efficacy threshold eight weeks after the last study dose at two separate dose levels, according to the company.

Merck is studying the drug's use as pre-exposure prophylaxis for adults with low risk of contracting HIV-1 in a study that included 242 people. Dr. Joan Butterson, the vice president for global clinical development in infectious diseases for Merck Research Laboratories, said the results provided "encouraging support."

Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 20, 2021 06:37 ET (10:37 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to May 2024 Click Here for more Merck Charts.
Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024 Click Here for more Merck Charts.