A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine comparing the effectiveness of the lowly niacin, a B vitamin, with the high-priced drugs Zetia and Vytorin found that Niacin did a significantly better job of shrinking artery plaque than the billion dollar cholesterol drugs. Merck, which manufacturers Zetia and Vytorin, has had over $21 billion in sales since 2003. With profits like that its not surprising that Merck is standing behind its cash cow drugs and launched an aggressive attack on the study. They announced that through their global science strategy division they were organizing their own trial study. The problem is this is the third study to come to the same conclusion.
No one challenges ezetimibe’s (the active ingredient in Zetia and Vytorin) effectiveness to lower LDL or bad cholesterol. That was the basis on which the FDA granted approval. The larger question is whether ezetimibe prevents heart disease and death. The Enhance study published in 2008 showed Vytorin did no better job of treating clogged arteries than statins alone. A second Seas study had similar results and generated additional controversy by publishing data that Vytorin users appeared to die more often of cancer.
The American public should not be enriching the pockets of giant pharmaceutical companies to the tune of $21 billion for drugs that are not proven to be effective for the purpose patients are using them. The FDA must be more rigorous in demanding adequate research before approving these huge profit-making drugs. Imagine how patients who have been buying and taking Zetia and Vytorin feel when they could have been saving money and had similar or better results taking plain old niacin?
