Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Will The FDA Wake Up to Sugammadex’s Potential?

Another thing to consider is the benefit in the operating room. By using a reversal agent, doctors can can slash between 12 minutes and 46 minutes off each surgery according to one study. That saves valuable time and money for hospitals and patients. Sugammadex builds upon that advantage by reversing the neuromuscular block in as little two minutes.

Potential opportunity
Is an approval imminent? I think it’s highly likely this time around. The drug now has five years of safety data from Europe to present to the FDA. Investors must also remember that the first time sugammadex was on the FDA’s desk in 2008, the agency was still reeling from the public backlash of Vioxx (also from Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)). That may have left the FDA with the need to be overly cautious at the time, which is one theory as to why the relatively safe sugammadex was rejected in the first place. Investors should definitely consider the upcoming FDA decision this time around as a potential opportunity for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) to add to its portfolio and potentially boost its revenue.

The article Will the FDA Wake Up to This Drug’s Potential? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Maxx Chatsko.

Fool contributor Maxx Chatsko has no position in any stocks mentioned, and neither does The Motley Fool. Check out Maxx’s personal portfolio, his CAPS page, or follow him on Twitter @BlacknGoldFool to keep up with his writing on energy, bioprocessing, and emerging technologies.

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