Healthy Skepticism Library item: 12516

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Schering-Plough and Merck defend Vytorin
The Star-Ledger 2008 Jan 20
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2008/01/scheringplough_and_merck_defen.html

Full text:

Schering-Plough and Merck defended their two cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia in newspaper advertisements after a disappointing study generated negative publicity, Reuters reported today.

A full-page ad in The New York Times on Sunday said consumers using Vytorin and Zetia “may be worried about recent news stories questioning the benefit of these medicines…on the basis of a single study that has generated a lot of confusion.”

Similar ads appeared in the Star-Ledger and the Wall Street Journal.

The ad cites the drugs’ ability to lower “bad” cholesterol and urges patients to follow their doctors’ recommendations on taking prescribed medicines.

The two New Jersey-based drugmakers released results on Monday showing that Vytorin failed its primary goal of preventing fatty plaque buildup in carotid arteries more effectively than widely used generic cholesterol fighters. The results led some cardiologists to question Vytorin’s value.

Vytorin, which is the product of a partnership between Schering-Plough and Merck, combines Zetia and Zocor into one pill. The study did show that Vytorin did cut levels of “bad” cholesterol more than Zocor alone.

“All of us at Merck and Schering-Plough proudly stand behind the established efficacy and safety profiles of Zetia and Vytorin,” the ad says.

Under the main text of the ad appears the names of top medical officers at the companies.

“We plan to continue this campaign to provide appropriate balance and perspective to patients and, if they believe they have the need, to encourage them to talk to their doctors about their treatment,” Schering-Plough spokesman Lee Davies said in an e-mail.

Vytorin and Zetia have combined annual sales of about $5 billion. Last week shares of Schering-Plough fell about 23 percent and shares of Merck were down about 12 percent.