Merck receives FDA approval for JUVISYNC to treat type 2 diabetes

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved JUVISYNC™(sitagliptin and simvastatin), a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that combines the glucose-lowering medication sitagliptin, the active component of JANUVIA^® (sitagliptin), with the cholesterol-lowering medication ZOCOR^® (simvastatin).

JUVISYNC is the first treatment option for healthcare providers to help patients who need the blood sugar-lowering benefits of a DPP-4 inhibitor and the cholesterol-lowering benefits of simvastatin, with the convenience of a single tablet once daily. "Although clinical guidelines put people with type 2 diabetes who need glycemic and lipid therapy at the same risk level as those with coronary heart disease, nearly 40 percent of eligible patients do not receive statin treatment," said Barry J. Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Merck. "We are proud to bring forward a treatment option that can help these patients who need both glycemic and lipid therapy."