Merck Receives Complete Response Letter for Investigational Medicine Sugammadex Sodium Injection

Merck Receives Complete Response Letter for Investigational Medicine Sugammadex Sodium Injection

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYS: MRK) , known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the company has received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the resubmission of the New Drug Application for sugammadex sodium injection, Merck's investigational medicine for the reversal of neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium or vecuronium.

The FDA's letter raised concerns about operational aspects of a hypersensitivity study that the agency had requested in 2008. Merck is evaluating the Complete Response Letter and expects to be able to determine a path forward in the very near future.

"We believe sugammadex is an important innovation, and will work closely with the FDA to bring this product to hospitals, surgeons, anesthesia professionals and patients in the United States," said David Michelson, M.D., head of global neuroscience clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories.

As previously disclosed, the FDA cancelled the discussion of sugammadex at the July 18th Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee (AADPAC). At that time, the FDA advised Merck that the agency needed additional time to assess the results of the agency's recently completed inspection of a clinical trial site conducting the hypersensitivity study.

Neuromuscular blockade is used in anesthesiology to induce muscle relaxation during surgery. Sugammadex is designed to work by inactivating rocuronium or vecuronium, two neuromuscular blocking agents, directly by encapsulation. If approved, sugammadex would be the first in a new class of medicines, known as selective relaxant binding agents, to be used in the U.S. Sugammadex is currently marketed in more than 50 countries other than the U.S., and more than 5 million vials have been sold as of June 2013.

About Merck

Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Merck Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck's 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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