VelosBio to be Acquired by Merck…

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, reported preliminary results of a second Phase IIb clinical trial of A-002, for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. In this second study, administration of once-daily A-002 lowered both sPLA₂ and LDL-C levels confirming the positive effects of A-002 treatment seen in the twice-daily PLASMA study (Phospholipase Levels And Serological Markers of Atherosclerosis) announced in October 2007.