It is estimated by the American Heart Association that
nearly 1 in 5 Americans are candidates for increased chance
of heart disease, liver failure, and other serious health
complications due to high cholesterol levels. While this is
one of the most dangerous and prevalent health concerns
facing the US, it is also one that is moderately easy to
manage. As Americans become more informed of the
importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, they are
increasingly exposed to advertisements touting the
successes of the prescription drug industry in remedying
this problem. Indeed, there are several
anti-hyperlipidemic (raised or abnormal levels of lipids
(fatty molecules) due to the influence of cholesterol)
medications available on the market. In fact, almost 30
million prescriptions are written each year for cholesterol
lowering drugs, accounting for $20 billion in annual sales
for the pharmaceutical industry.
The cholesterol cure-all for the pharmaceutical industry
came in the form of a kind of drugs called statins.
Initially, statins were prescribed in a pharmaceutical
regimen designed to fight high cholesterol. Statins lower
cholesterol by inhibiting a certain enzyme, which in turn
stimulates LDL (bad cholesterol) receptors in the liver,
resulting in an increased clearance of LDL's from the
bloodstream and an overall decrease in blood cholesterol
levels. Results are almost immediate; the first results can
be seen after one week of use and the maximum effect of the
drug can be seen after four to six weeks of therapy.
Reduction levels of LDL cholesterol are often between 30 -
50%, making this treatment plan a popular option for many
seeking to lower their risk for serious health
complications as a result of high cholesterol levels.
Recently, drug manufacturer Merck and chemical research
company Schering-Plough announced a new medication to
combat high cholesterol. Zetia, known chemically as
Ezetimibe, is an anti-hyperlipidemic medication which is
used to lower cholesterol levels. Zetia is marketed as an
alternative to statin therapy. It acts by decreasing
cholesterol absorption in the intestine. Zetia has also
been combined with statin therapy in a single pill marketed
as Vytorin.
On January 14, 2008, The New York Times reported that a
clinical trial of Zetia designed to show that the drug
could reduce the growth of fatty plaques in arteries
instead showed a growth of plaques. This trial, known as
the ENHANCE trial, was completed by the Merck and
Schering-Plough companies in April 2006 and the
manufacturers had initially planned to release the findings
in March 2007. However, the companies missed several
self-imposed deadlines, and in December 2007 finally agreed
to publish the results "soon" after the delays were
publicized in news reports. Additionally, the American
College of Cardiology stated in their press release for the
ENHANCE study that, "The results of the trial show no
benefit from the combination of ezetimibe (Zetia) and
simvastatin (sold together as Vytorin) over simvastatin
alone in terms of affecting the rate of
atherosclerosis(fatty plaque) progression." They went on
to say that, "this study deserves serious thought and
follow-up."
The evidence of some less scrupulous actions continues.
The release of the results came just weeks after the
announcement of a congressional investigation into the drug
companies' actions surrounding the study, which ended
nearly two years ago. The delayed results and the
questionable study surrounding Zetia have led many to
question its worth on the pharmaceutical market.
If you or anyone you know has taken Zetia and is concerned
about possible Zetia side effects or lower Zetia
effectiveness, it may be in your best interest to contact a
Zetia law firm or a Zetia lawyer for counsel on Zetia and a
possible Zetia lawsuit.
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Visit http://www.LegalView.com and find information medical
issues such as the Baxter Heparin recall or the Trasylol
injection side effects. Also learn about Avandia at
http://avandia.legalview.com , which is a type 2 diabetes
prescription drug that has been linked to heart disease and
osteoporosis.
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