Merck's application for Cordaptive accepted by FDA

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. The Food and Drug Administration has accepted the application by Merck & Co. for their drug Cordaptive for standard review.

Cordaptive is a compound of extended-release niacin and laropiprant that can be used alone or with a statin as adjunctive therapy to diet for the treatment of elevated LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, and elevated triglyceride levels.

The company will try to present phase III data for the drug at the September 2007 Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Cardiology and the November 2007 Scientific Meeting of the American Heart Association.