Merck said Tuesday its cholesterol drug Anacetrapib met its primary goal in a study, significantly reducing coronary heart disease.
Shares of the pharmaceutical company spiked more than 3 percent in premarket trade and were last trading about 1.6 percent higher.
Results of the study on 30,000 individuals will be presented on Aug. 29 at a European Society of Cardiology meeting.
Merck 24-hour performance (extended trade)
Source: FactSet
Merck said in a press release that it plans to review the trial results with outside experts and will consider whether to file a new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, among other regulatory agencies.
Merck shares are up nearly 12 percent year-to-date. Analysts said this month the results of this study would be the next major catalyst for the Dow Jones Industrial average member.