It's a pile-on. Experts and non-experts alike are expounding on yesterday's dismal ENHANCE results [1]. For every cardiologist of unshaken faith, such as this one who talked to the Wall Street Journal's Health Blog, there are a half-dozen or more detractors gleefully trashing Merck and Schering-Plough. Congress is pledging to forge ahead with its investigation of the study. Only Wall Street analysts appear unfazed by the news that generic simvistatin performed as well in the study as did the high-priced Zetia and Vytorin, which combines Zetia with Zocor (simvistatin). Here are some representative quotes:
If Califf is correct, then "thoughtful people" will behave as they did pre-ENHANCE for two or three more years, when the outcome study is expected to be released. But if Merck and Schering have to rely on that "thoughtful" subset of the population to buoy Zetia, then the drug makers could be in trouble.
- get the House Energy and Commerce Committee's statement [2] on its investigation
- read the report [3] in Forbes
- here's another take [4]Â in the Hartford Courant
- read the Health Blog's roundup of analyst comments [5] and its talk with heart researchers [6]
Related Articles:
Merck, Schering's Vytorin fails trial. Report [1]
Merck, Schering left trial chief out. Report [7]
Schering CEO defends Vytorin decisions. Report [8]
Merck, Schering backpedal on Vytorin. Report [9]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/merck-scherings-vytorin-fails-trial/2008-01-14
[2] http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr171.shtml
[3] http://www.forbes.com/home/healthcare/2008/01/14/enhance-merck-schering-biz-healthcare-cx_mh_0115bizenhance.html
[4] http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-drug0115.artjan15,0,1533989.story
[5] http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/01/15/analysts-downplay-vytorin-data/
[6] http://blogs.wsj.com/health/
[7] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/merck-schering-left-trial-chief-out/2008-01-11?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=link
[8] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/schering-ceo-defends-vytorin-decisions/2008-01-04
[9] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/merck-schering-backpedal-vytorin/2007-12-18