Can Merck & Co. And Novartis AG's Surprise Heart Drug Success Translate To Blockbuster Sales?

Novartis and Merck have both surprised experts in the past week by finding new ways to tackle heart disease, although the jury remains out as to whether this scientific success will translate into blockbuster sales.

Detailed data on both Novartis's canakinumab and Merck's anacetrapib will be presented on Aug. 27 and 29 at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), conference organizers said on Thursday.

So far, the rival companies have only said their drugs met the main goals in two large clinical trials, leaving cardiologists and financial analysts anxious to see the scale of the benefit and the nature of any side effects.

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