ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – An experimental anti-clotting drug from Merck & Co failed to meet the main goal of improving a host of cardiovascular problems in a large study and tripled the risk of bleeding in the brain, researchers said on Sunday.

The prospects for vorapaxar had already been severely dented after a safety committee overseeing this and another large study of the drug in January said it was not appropriate in patients who had suffered a stroke, due to excess bleeding.

, Nov 13 (Reuters) – An experimental
anti-clotting drug from Merck & Co failed to meet the
main goal of of improving a host of cardiovascular problems in
a large study and tripled the risk of bleeding in the brain,
researchers said on Sunday.

The prospects for vorapaxar had already been severely
dented after a safety committee overseeing this and another
large study of the drug in January said it was not appropriate
in patients who had suffered a stroke, due to excess bleeding.

,Nov 13 (Reuters) – Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc’s apixaban failed to
significantly help seriously ill patients cut their risk of
dangerous blood clots, according to clinical data released on
Sunday.

The drug showed a trend toward cutting the clots, but the
difference compared with patients taking an older medicine was
not statistically significant, researchers said.

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – Low doses of Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson’s Xarelto blood clot preventer cut the risk of death by more than 30 percent when used on top of standard blood thinners in patients with acute coronary syndrome, according to data from a study released on Sunday.

The companies had previously revealed that Xarelto met the study’s main goal of significantly reducing the combined risk of death, stroke or heart attack when used on top of Plavix and aspirin compared with those standard medicines alone.

Nov 8 (Reuters) – Bayer AG and Johnson &
Johnson’s Xarelto stands to make major gains this
weekend should clinical data give the drug an edge in a
high-stakes battle among new blood clot preventers.

Xarelto is one of three new drugs that aim to replace
warfarin after decades of use. The new medicines are vying for
position in a multibillion-dollar market.

Nov 8 (Reuters) – Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc is ending its
nearly decade-long diabetes partnership with Eli Lilly and Co,
potentially paying up to $1.6 billion to control their shared
products after a dispute over a rival deal.

Amylin and Lilly introduced the Byetta
diabetes drug in 2005, which had a promising start, and sought
to bring a long-acting version called Bydureon to the market.
Exenatide is the active ingredient of both drugs.

Nov 4 (Reuters) – Humana Inc hired a top executive
from drug wholesaler McKesson Corp to eventually become
its next chief executive officer, replacing the U.S. health
insurer’s longtime leader, Mike McCallister.

Humana, one of the largest providers of Medicare plans for
the elderly, said on Friday that Bruce Broussard, who has been
CEO of McKesson Specialty Health, a McKesson subsidiary, will
be president of Humana starting next month.

By Esha Dey and Lewis Krauskopf

(Reuters) – An experimental prostate cancer drug from Medivation Inc helped patients live longer in a late-stage study, sending the company’s shares soaring on hopes that it will become a strong contender in an estimated $9 billion market.

Medivation said on Thursday that an independent monitoring committee even recommended stopping the clinical trial of MDV3100 after seeing interim results, arguing that they showed enough benefit to warrant giving the experimental drug to patients who were taking placebo.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Pfizer Inc (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), known for an aggressive sales culture, is planning to hold onto every Lipitor prescription it can as the company’s biggest drug faces a first wave of U.S. generic competition later this month.

Chief Executive Ian Read described his determination to at least temporarily protect the $10-billion a year cholesterol fighter from the steep sales declines that large medicines typically suffer when they lose U.S. marketing exclusivity.

By Lewis Krauskopf

(Reuters) – Humana Inc’s (HUM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) quarterly profit soared past estimates on growth in its Medicare plans for the elderly and low medical claims, and the health insurer gave an initial forecast for 2012 earnings that reassured investors, sending shares to their highest level in nearly four years.

Humana, one of the largest U.S. providers of Medicare plans, projected earnings below Wall Street’s target for next year. But analysts have been warning investors that Humana might give an initial disappointing 2012 outlook and that the forecast would likely prove conservative.