Merck Scraps Mid-Stage Trial of Alzheimer’s Drug MK-1167

Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) has stopped its mid-stage study of Alzheimer's drug MK-1167, citing business reasons, sending MRK shares down over 2% on Wednesday.

The trial, conducted with Neuphoria Therapeutics (NEUP), aimed to test whether adding MK-1167 to standard Alzheimer's medicines could improve memory and thinking. However, an early planned review of the results showed the drug did not perform well enough to continue.

Despite this setback, Merck remains active in Alzheimer's research, with another experimental drug, MK-2214, still in development. Results from this study are expected in 2029.