U.S. FDA approves Merck blood clot preventer

(Reuters) – U.S. health regulators on Thursday approved a blood clot preventer developed by Merck & Co for use by patients who have had a heart attack or who suffer from blockages in the arteries of the legs. The drug, vorapaxar, was approved to reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular death and the need for procedures to improve blood flow to the heart, the Food and Drug Administration said. Merck will sell the new medicine under the brand name Zontivity. The approval follows a recommendation for its use by an FDA advisory panel that voted 10-1 in favor of the drug in January.