Merck/S-P's Vytorin lowers LDL cholesterol more than AstraZeneca's Crestor

US drug majors Merck & Co and Schering-Plough presented results from a new clinical study at the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis meeting, held in Rome, Italy, showing that their co-developed cholesterol-lowerer Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) provides superior reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca's Crestor (rosuvastatin).

The US firms noted that the improvement over Crestor was seen across all doses tested: 52%-61% for Vytorin 10mg/20mg to 10mg/80 mg and 46%-57% for Crestor 10mg to 40 mg. In addition, both drugs raised the beneficial, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol 8%.

Vytorin, which is the first and only product approved to alleviate high cholesterol by inhibiting both production and absorption, is marketed as Inegy in many countries outside the USA. With the results of this study, the agent has now been shown in clinical studies to provide greater LDL cholesterol-lowering efficacy at all study dose comparisons versus Merck & Co's Zocor (simvastatin), Pfizer's mega-blockbuster Lipitor (atorvastatin) and now also Crestor.