Zetia and Vytorin News
Zetia patients may face increased risk of heart attack and other side effects
A new study has found that patients taking Zetia may be five times more likely to suffer heart attacks or other serious side effects than those who are prescribed another cholesterol treatment. Researchers in the study also found that Zetia was much less effective at treating atherosclerosis—the buildup of plaque in the arteries—than another cholesterol drug, Niaspan. More »
Zetia patients may face increased risk of heart attack and other side effects
A new study has found that patients taking Zetia may be five times more likely to suffer heart attacks or other serious side effects than those who take another cholesterol treatment. Researchers in the study also found that Zetia was much less effective at treating atherosclerosis—the buildup of plaque in the arteries—than another cholesterol drug, Niaspan. More »
Drugmakers to pay $41.5M to settle Zetia and Vytorin lawsuits
The manufacturers of the cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin have agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle several class action lawsuits filed by insurers and former patients. The lawsuits allege that drugmakers Merck and Schering-Plough overcharged plaintiffs by misleading them about the effectiveness of the two drugs compared to other cholesterol-lowering medications.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002, Zetia is designed to lower levels of LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol,” in combination with statin drugs such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor. The drug is also sold in combination with Zocor under the name Vytorin.
In January 2008, Merck and Schering-Plough released a study which showed that Zetia and Vytorin were no more effective at lowering LDL cholesterol levels and unclogging arteries than older, cheaper treatments. Insurers and former patients filed lawsuits against the companies, alleging that it was unfair to charge them higher prices for the two drugs when they carried no additional benefits.
The settlement resolved more than 140 claims against the two companies as part of several class action lawsuits over Zetia and Vytorin.
Vytorin fails to meet study goals, increases cancer rates
A new study investigating the side effects of Vytorin found that the cholesterol drug increased cancer rates while failing to reduce the risk of complications from heart disease. The study compared the effectiveness of Vytorin with that of a placebo at treating a cardiovascular condition known as aortic stenosis.
Vytorin is a combination pill consisting of the cholesterol drug Zetia and the statin Zocor. Concerns about the effectiveness of Vytorin arose in January 2009, when a study found that patients who were prescribed Vytorin showed no improvements in arterial plaque buildup compared with those who were given only Zocor.
Although patients in the newer study who were treated with Vytorin showed a reduced buildup of arterial plaque, researchers found that the drug failed to reduce the risk of serious and potentially deadly cardiovascular complications, including valve replacement surgery, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, chest pain or surgery to unclog the arteries.
In addition, patients who were given Vytorin were more likely to develop cancer compared with patients who were given a placebo. The study also found an increased rate of cancer deaths among the Vytorin group.