Jan 13 (Reuters) - Merck & Co Inc's experimental blood clot-preventing drug vorapaxar should be approved based on "robustly positive" clinical trial results, according to a preliminary review of the data by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The review, posted on the FDA's website on Monday, comes two days ahead of a meeting of outside medical experts, who are expected to recommend whether it should be approved. The FDA usually follows the advice of its advisory panels.

The drug, which would be sold under the brand name Zontivity if approved, is designed to prevent heart-related deaths, heart attacks and strokes in patients who have had a recent heart attack but have not had a stroke.