Yes, Arbiter 6 Was A Small Study, But. . .

That isn't really the story here, tonight, from AHA in Orlando. The "story" is 0-for-3.

If only 1 percent of Niaspan patients had cardiac events, and 5 percent of Zetia patients did, and the outcome was statistically significant -- the 0-for-3 study streak [first ENHANCE, then SEAS and now Arbiter 6 - HALTS] looks particularly lethal, to the Merck cholesterol franchises.

Finally, if IMPROVE-IT is now essentially flying dead-stick, then I am uncertain that the expense of continuing to fund such a massive, longitudinal study can be justified.