Vytorin and Zetia: Who knew what and when?

Jan/16/2008 06:21 Filed in: Pharma Business
vytorin
An editorial in today's Times questions the promotional money spent on Vytorin and Zetia which led to more than $5 billion in sales globally. From what this author has read sales of both products will take a substantial hit but even though there are questions about the drugs effectiveness there are more serious issues here about the release of clinical trial data.



Forgive me for thinking that Merck and SP withheld data but given the track record of big pharma over the last few years why should we give them the benefit of the doubt? The enhance study does not tell a complete picture however as there were only a little over 700 people in the clinical trial but withholding the release of the data has surely led to innuendos and acquisitions that Merck and SP knew that they had a ticking bomb on their hands and wanted to do all they could to defuse its impact.

As today's NY Times said:


The companies’ grudging release of the data has raised disturbing questions. A House committee will explore whether they withheld the results lest they interfere with sales and only released them under pressure from Congress and news media reports. Whatever the committee discovers, the experience is one more argument for why scientists involved in studies sponsored by drug companies must insist on the right to review and release data. A new law that strengthens the penalties for companies that do not release data promptly should help.


By spring sales of Zetia and Vytorin could go down by over 70% while sales of Lipitor will surely go up. More importantly when Lipitor comes off patent in 2010 generic manufacturers are going to be fighting to market their generics to all the big pharmacy chains. Crestor, in the meantime, is going to start a head to head clinical trial against Lipitor which is good news because the results could position them as a 2nd line treatment for high cholesterol thus ensuring a market niche.


I just don't understand why pharma continues to hide behind walls when people are demanding transparency today. Physicians are no different and not they have another reason not to trust anything big pharma tells them.


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