One of the reasons trials fail is because investigators overestimated the baseline risk in the population being studied and the trial is underpowered to measure a difference in the primary endpoint.  I think the event rate suggests that the investigators nailed it with respect to picking the right population to enroll in the trial.  These are clearly high-risk vascular patients.  Add on top of that they are keeping patients in the study on treatment another positive sign of a well-conducted study (ie. median time on treatment will be approximately 27 months compared to the protocol’s 18-month assumption). So if the apabetalone has a clinically meaningful effect on MACE the investigators have a solid well-designed trial to detect this effect.  In my opinion, today's news release supports the overall trial design and the quality of the study. These are important pieces of information that reduce some of the risk side of the equation.  All that is left now is that the drug actually has to work.