Merck halts late-stage trial of promising Alzheimera s drug

Drug company Merck said Tuesday it’s halting the late-stage trial of its promising Alzheimer’s drug verubecestat, after an independent study found that it had “virtually no chance” of working. It comes just three months after Eli Lilly announced that it was ending the clinical trial of its Alzheimer’s drug solanezumab, after patients taking it demonstrated no signs of improvement compared to those taking a placebo.