Two Solutions For Cholesterol: No Room For Vytorin / Zetia

In another study to debunk popular prescribing habits, the American College of Cardiology said that Vytorin and Zetia should only be used after other cholesterol lowering drugs have failed (e.g., Mevacor, Lipitor, Zocor). They actually went so far as to recommend patients on these two drugs go back to the other drugs.

The study was also released in the New England Journal of Medicine and is a disaster for these two drugs who had grown in marketshare through Direct to Consumer (DTC) advertising, aggressive physician detailing, and timing of their launches with the brand drugs in the class getting close to losing patent protection.

It makes me wonder what my reaction would be if I was one of the 18,000 participants in the Improve-It study which is looking at whether Zetia and Vytorin prevents heart attacks and deaths.

See follow-up in USA Today.