Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges notes that Merck (MRK) announced the suspension of the Phase 2/3 EPOCH trial of verubecestat in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's patients for lack of efficacy, which was one of the most important catalysts for the field this year and a significant overhang for Biogen (BIIB) and other companies. While the failure had been widely anticipated in this study, the analyst believes this result does not read over to the outlook for Biogen's ongoing pivotal trials with aducanumab, or with its partner, Eisai's (ESALY) BACE inhibitor, elenbecestat.