Benzinga | Dec 6, 2021 05:01PM EST

Merck Reports Pause Of Enrollment In 2 Phase 3 Trials Of Its Oral Islatravir For Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Of HIV-1 Infection

Enrolled Participants Will Continue to Receive Study Medicine

KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced a pause in enrollment for the IMPOWER 22 (MK-8591-022) and IMPOWER 24 (MK-8591-024) Phase 3 clinical studies evaluating investigational, once-monthly, oral islatravir (ISL), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in people at high risk of HIV-1 infection.

At the recommendation of the ISL PrEP external data monitoring committee (eDMC), Merck is pausing enrollment for the IMPOWER 22 and IMPOWER 24 trials while the company conducts further analyses of these and other ongoing studies. Participants already enrolled in the trials will continue to receive the study medicine. Informed by the recommendations of the PrEP eDMC, Merck is implementing additional monitoring measures for study participants, including increasing the frequency of total lymphocyte and CD4+ T-cell assessments. Investigators have been informed of these actions.

"We continue to apply learnings from our HIV program as we move forward with the development of islatravir in both treatment and PrEP," said Dr. Joan Butterton, vice president, infectious diseases, Global Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories. "Merck remains committed to developing tools to help address unmet needs in HIV treatment and prevention to contribute to the global effort against the ongoing HIV epidemic."