Quite a few months ago, I had told you about a new drug being developed by Merck called Cordaptive. Cordaptive was essentially Niaspan (extended release niacin) combined with a chemical called laropiprant, which reduced the side effects associated with niacin. The Food and Drug Administration has now decided not to approve this drug.

If you've ever taken niacin before, you are already familiar with some of the side effects, such as:

• sweating
• flushing
• hot flashes
• redness

While there are certain tricks you can use to reduce this, some individuals still discontinue taking niacin because they can't tolerate the side effects. Studies had shown that laropiprant promised to reduce this.

While studies have show that laropiprant reduces niacin-induced side effects, we really don't know much about it - especially with long-term use. With the recent controversy surrounding Zetia and Vytorin, this isn't too surprising.

Merck plans to meet with the FDA and present more clinical evidence to them, including a possible trade name change to Tredaptive. You can read about this news in a statement released by Merck, but don't expect to see Cordaptive prescriptions anytime soon.