ACC Reviews Popular Drug Vytorin

The word is out in the medical community, and a person would be hard-pressed to escape it on any news show this morning. There have been new releases concerning Vytorin, a medication that is suppose to radically lower cholesterol. This drug caused a lot of hype in the beginning of this year and has been highly prescribed by doctors and physicians. Now the manufacturers of this drug are stating that more tests will need to be done to determine whether or not the drug actually reduces the risk of heart attacks.

Approximately 20 million Americans are now taking this cholesterol medicine along with a similar drug called Zetia. The American College of Cardiology released a study yesterday finding that Vytorin slowed the clogging of arteries no less than other similar, less expensive medications on the market. Harlan Krumholz, a spokesman for the ACC panel, stated, according to Bloomberg, that, "This study provides no new evidence to support the use of this drug, and it moves us to more uncertainty about the benefits."

Four members of the ACC panel came to the conclusive decision through their research that doctors should reduce use of Vytorin and Zetia, only prescribing the drugs after other treatments fail. Many doctors have already been prescribing these medications for first-line use, worrying the panel of the effects of overuse of these drugs. It is hard to determine what trouble this could bring for the millions that have been using this drug. Results are inconclusive at best and all anyone can really say is that more tests will be needed to determine the actual long-term effects of overuse.

However, the effects of the overuse of these drugs is not the only thing worrying the medical community. Since the release of these results yesterday, the manufacturer of Vytorin, Merck and Schering-Plough, has seen a dramatic plunge in stock prices. Of course that is to be expected after news such as this. Likely the stock dropped in according to the ACC's recommendation that this drug be used only as a last resort, translating to fewer prescriptions and less business for this manufacturer.

Anyone could predict that the stock price will continue to fall as Vytorin is put through more trials. This comes in the midst of the company pulling an obesity treatment out of testing because it has proved to contribute to anxiety and depression. It does not look good for this company on Wall Street today since Vytorin produces approximately 70% of the company's profit.

Merck and Schering-Plough denies the validity of these results, claiming that both Vytorin and Zetia have effectively lowered cholesterol in patients and are valuable treatments. This will be a costly debate with high stakes. The company has already begun conducting its own research study. However, results are not expected until 2011 or 2012. That is, if the company can hold on for that long. Only time will tell as anyone could guess that the recommendations will have users of these drugs revisiting their doctors seeking other prescriptions.