Merck says FDA again declines to approve Bridion, needs more data

(Reuters) - Merck & Co on Tuesday said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has again declined to approve Bridion, its drug to reverse the effects of muscle relaxants used in surgery, until the agency receives more data on allergic reactions to the product. Roger Perlmutter, Merck's research chief, told analysts on a conference call that the FDA wants to receive and examine more data on "hypersensitivity" to the drug, whose chemical name is sugammadex and is sold in more than 60 countries. The FDA has repeatedly refused to approve the drug in recent years, largely due to concerns about potentially dangerous allergic reactions to the product. (Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)