Results from the phase IV efficacy trial were presented at the XIV International Symposium on Atherosclerosis.
The results demonstrated that adding the HDL-boosting therapy Niaspan to statin therapy raised “good” cholesterol and lowered “bad” cholesterol more effectively than treatment with a high dose statin alone, or Vytorin (a combination tablet of Zocor and Zetia sold by Merck & Co and Schering-Plough).
The 12-week study in 292 patients compared the efficacy of combination therapy with Niaspan and low-to-moderate doses of Lipitor (Pfizer) and Crestor (AstraZeneca) against moderate-to-high dose Crestor and Vytorin.
Study results showed that patients given Niaspan in combination with a low to moderate dose of Lipitor or Crestor achieved equivalent reduction in LDL-C “bad” cholesterol (51-58%), 1.2 to 1.9-fold greater decreases in triglycerides and 2.5 to 3.5 fold greater increases in HDL-C “good” cholesterol, than patients who received high-dose Crestor or Zocor/Zetia.
According to the company, only patients receiving Niaspan experienced significant decreases in lipoprotein (a), referred to as Lp(a), which actually increased in patients on Crestor and Zocor/Zetia. Similar numbers of patients reported adverse events and serious adverse events.
“These results are particularly powerful because they demonstrate that we can drive LDL-C levels down to goal and also raise the good cholesterol, HDL-C, without the need for high doses of statin medications,” said Dr Peter Jones, associate professor of cardiology, Baylor University.