Merck/Schering-Plough says Vytorin lowers 'bad' cholesterol more than Zocor

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., March 13 - Merck/Schering-Plough announced Monday that Vytorin significantly reduced LDL "bad" cholesterol by an average of 52.5% and C-reactive protein (CRP) by an average of 31.0%, compared to averages of 38.0% and 14.3%, respectively, achieved with Zocor.

These results were observed in a combined analysis of three studies involving patients with high cholesterol, according to a news release.

C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, is considered an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Studies of CRP have demonstrated that higher levels are associated with a higher risk for developing coronary events. The specific relationship between reductions in CRP and reduction of cardiovascular disease risk has not been established and no drugs are approved specifically for use in reducing CRP, the release said.

"In this analysis, while both treatments yielded LDL cholesterol and CRP reductions, we saw that Vytorin lowered LDL cholesterol and CRP by a significantly greater amount in more patients than Zocor," Christie M. Ballantyne, MD, a director at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston, said in a statement.

Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals is a joint venture between Merck and Schering-Plough formed to develop and market in the United States new prescription medicines in cholesterol management. The collaboration includes worldwide markets, excluding Japan.

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