Vytorin Effectiveness Questioned
On January 14, 2008, Merck & Co., Inc. and the Shering-Plough Corporation released the long awaited ENHANCE study assessing the effectiveness of Vytorin, a prescription drug designed to reduce cholesterol. The study showed that Vytorin did not reduce arterial plaque buildup any better than cheaper, generic cholesterol drugs (statins).
Approved by the FDA in 2004, Vytorin is a combination of two different drugs, Zocor and Zetia. Zocor, a statin, lessens the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. Zetia complements Zocor by reducing the absorption of cholesterol from digested food.
The ENHANCE study analyzed a group of 720 patients with a predisposition to high cholesterol who were given either Vytorin or a high dose of simvastatin, a generic form of Zocor. The study showed patients given Vytorin did not receive any additional benefit than those receiving simvastatin.
Delay of Information Regarding Vytorin
Merck & Co., Inc. and the Shering-Plough Corporation have been under pressure to release the ENHANCE study results since early 2007.
In a November 2007 New York Times article one of the supervising doctors of the ENHANCE study claimed the companies were blocking the release of information. The following month a congressional committee inquired about the status of the study and the companies claimed the delay was based on the complexity of the data. Scientists and professionals in the medical field have speculated that the delay was based on the detrimental outcome the study would have on Vytorin’s marketing.
Since the ENHANCE study showed Vytorin has no additional benefit than a generic statin, patients have no reason to opt for Vytorin over ready available alternatives. Opting for a generic alternative to Vytorin could lead to a substantial loss of revenue for Merck & Co., Inc. and the Shering-Plough Corporation. Since Vytorin’s approval, an average of 1 million prescriptions have been written per year. The price difference between a generic statin and Vytorin is approximately $2 per pill; and in the six months preceding the end of September 2007, the combined sales of Vytorin and Zetia were approximately $3.7 billion.
Vytorin Class Action Lawsuits
Levin, Simes, Kaiser & Gornick is one of six law firms that have filed a class action lawsuit against Merck & Co., Inc. and the Shering-Plough Corporation. This action has been taken to seek refunds for patients who were prescribed and purchased Vytorin. The lawsuit alleges the companies purposely misrepresented and withheld significant information regarding Vytorin’s effectiveness to receive FDA approval. It also alleges that this misrepresentation falsely led consumers to believe the drug would be effective in reducing arterial plaque buildup, which is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
The law offices of Levin, Simes, Kaiser & Gornick have decades of experience protecting the legal rights of their clients. If you or someone you know has been prescribed and used Vytorin, contact the law offices of Levin, Simes, Kaiser & Gornick at (800) 901-4001 to inquire about the status of the current class action lawsuit.
Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick, LLP
44 Montgomery Street, 36th floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Ph: 1.800.901.4001
Fax: 415.981.1270
