The data, presented by Merck/Schering-Plough at the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis meeting in Rome, show that Vytorin was more effective than Crestor across all study dose comparisons, 52-61% for Vytorin 10/20mg to 10/80mg and 46-57% for Crestor 10mg to 40mg.
In addition, both Vytorin and Crestor raised HDL “good” cholesterol by 8% averaged across all doses studied.
Vytorin now has been shown in clinical studies to provide greater LDL cholesterol lowering efficacy versus Merck & Co's Zocor, Pfizer's Lipitor and Crestor at all study dose comparisons.
“These data provide further evidence that Vytorin is an excellent option to help lower the LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels of patients with high cholesterol,” said Dr Michael Davidson, professor of medicine, director of preventive cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago.
Vytorin, which contains ezetimibe and simvastatin, is the first and only product approved to treat the two sources of cholesterol by inhibiting the production of cholesterol in the liver and blocking the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, including cholesterol from food. Vytorin is marketed as Inegy outside the US.