Healthy Skepticism Library item: 12544

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Publication type: news

Loftus P.
Prescriptions For Vytorin Sag Following Study
The Wall Street Journal 2008 Jan 23
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120105620967308735.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo

Full text:

Prescriptions for cholesterol drug Vytorin took a hit last week after a study raised questions about its effectiveness, a market-research firm says.

Total U.S. prescriptions written for Vytorin in the week ended Jan. 18 fell about 9.5% to 359,659 from 397,533 in the week ended Jan. 11, Verispan, a Yardley, Pa., drug-data vendor, estimated.

Results of the so-called Enhance patient trial were released Jan. 14, showing Vytorin was no better than generic simvastatin in slowing artery clogging despite reducing bad cholesterol to a greater degree. Vytorin, marketed by a joint venture of Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp., is a single-tablet combination of simvastatin and Zetia.

The study prompted some doctors to call for limiting the use of Vytorin and Zetia, at least until continuing patient studies show whether it can reduce the risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular results.

But Merck and Schering-Plough have stood behind Vytorin’s effectiveness in reducing bad cholesterol, and some medical societies have cautioned that people shouldn’t stop taking Vytorin or Zetia before talking to their doctors.

Prescriptions for stand-alone Zetia, which the Merck/Schering-Plough joint venture also markets, fell 12% to 258,619 from 294,405 the week before, Verispan said. In total, about 4.1 million prescriptions were written for cholesterol-modifying medications last week.

Vytorin and Zetia had combined sales of $3.73 billion for the first nine months of 2007, up 33% from a year earlier. The companies haven’t reported full-year 2007 results yet.

Late yesterday, Merck and Schering-Plough said they have suspended television ads for Vytorin, the Associated Press reported. The ads tell of the dietary and genetic causes of high cholesterol — “food and family” — and show “family members” interspersed with food. Ads also have been pulled for Zetia, said Skip Irvine, a spokesman for Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals. Print ads will continue, he said.