Cardiology Drugs Of The Year: New, Old, And Not-So-Funny
New Drug Of The Year: LCZ696 from Novartis Old Drug of the Year: Ezetimibe Not-So-Funny Drug of the Year: Ivabradine … Click here to read the full post on Forbes. (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - December 18, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Heart Failure Heart Rhythms MI/ACS People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes drug of the year ezetimibe ivabradine LCZ696 Source Type: blogs
Where is Cardiology in 2014? An AHA Review
Last week, I attended the American Heart Association (AHA) 2014 Scientific Sessions in Chicago. I was there as both a learner and physician-writer for theHeart.org.
Here are a few paragraphs on the meeting. The main purpose of this post is to introduce the five editorials I wrote. The links to the posts are at the end. A warning: I worked in the word asymptote. Grin.
I’m sorry to say the most-covered news of the meeting was hardly notable.
The IMPROVE-IT trial tested the combination of the statin drug simvastatin and ezetimibe (Vytorin) against simvastatin (Zocor) alone in patients who just suffered a heart-att...
Source: Dr John M - November 24, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr John Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, November 19, 2014
From MedPage Today:
IMPROVE-IT Results Turn Up Volume on Guideline Debate. The long-awaited results of the IMPROVE-IT study comparing Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) to simvastatin in high-risk patients revealed a small but significant benefit, and a large — and possibly equally significant — rift regarding the cardiovascular prevention guidelines.
State Exchange Situations Vary at Start of Open Enrollment. As open enrollment begins this week for health insurance plans in exchanges run by the states and the federal government, patients and providers alike are waiting to see whether this second year of the exc...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 19, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Heart Nephrology Source Type: blogs
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From MedPage Today:
Weight Loss Relieves Symptoms in Knee OA. Obese patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who maintain an initial weight loss report fewer symptoms compared with their baseline level of symptoms.
Age and Sex May Distort Biomarkers in Early RA. Age and sex are independently associated with levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
IMPROVE-IT Proves Ezetimibe Benefit. In high-risk patients, adding ezetimibe to statin therapy reduced LDL cholesterol by an average of 17 mg/dL and reduced cardiovascular events compared with statin therapy a...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 18, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Heart Obesity Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, November 18, 2014
From MedPage Today:
Weight Loss Relieves Symptoms in Knee OA. Obese patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who maintain an initial weight loss report fewer symptoms compared with their baseline level of symptoms.
Age and Sex May Distort Biomarkers in Early RA. Age and sex are independently associated with levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
IMPROVE-IT Proves Ezetimibe Benefit. In high-risk patients, adding ezetimibe to statin therapy reduced LDL cholesterol by an average of 17 mg/dL and reduced cardiovascular events compared with statin therapy a...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 18, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Heart Obesity Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
IMPROVE-IT Meets Endpoint And Demonstrates Real But Modest Clinical Benefit For Ezetimibe
After all the waiting and all the controversy it turned out to be pretty simple. The IMPROVE-IT trial did what it set out to do and reached its primary endpoint. The benefit wasn’t very big or impressive but it will be enough to put to rest concerns that ezetimibe might have been an expensive placebo or that LDL might not be a reliable surrogate endpoint. The IMPROVE-IT results will also provide comfort to companies developing the next generation of cholesterol drugs, since their approval may have depended on validation of LDL as a surrogate endpoint. More… (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - November 17, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol ezetimibe Merck Simvastatin Source Type: blogs
IMPROVE-IT Trial Paper Won’t Be Published Right Away In The New England Journal Of Medicine
The presentation of the eagerly awaited IMPROVE-IT trial, scheduled for Monday at the American Heart Association meeting, won’t be accompanied by a simultaneous publication in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although no one except for a small group of insiders knows for sure, this news may have important implications. … Click here to read the full post on Forbes. (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - November 13, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol ezetimibe IMPROVE-IT LDL The New England Journal of Medicine Source Type: blogs
Newly Identified Mutations Act Like a Lifetime of Treatment with Ezetimibe
A very large genetic study published in the New England Journal of Medicine offers compelling evidence in support of a central role for LDL cholesterol in coronary heart disease. In a series of studies analyzing blood samples from nearly 100,000 people, Sekar Kathiresan and colleagues identified 15 rare mutations that block the activity of a single gene — called Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1). The mean LDL level was 12 mg/dL lower in mutation carriers than noncarriers. There were just 11 carriers of the mutations among 29,954 people with CHD versus 71 carriers among 83,140 people without known CHD (carrier fr...
Source: CardioBrief - November 13, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol ezetimibe IMPROVE-IT LDL vytorin Zetia Source Type: blogs
What You Need To Know About IMPROVE-IT
The IMPROVE-IT trial will be big news when its results are finally presented on November 17 during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association. The results of the trial–underway for nearly a decade– have been long and eagerly awaited by everyone interested in cardiovascular medicine. The trial could impact the future sales of a key Merck drug, ezetimibe, though because it is nearing the end of its patent life the commercial significance is somewhat limited. However, IMPROVE-IT will also have very important implications beyond its specific effect on one drug franchise and could influence...
Source: CardioBrief - November 7, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol ENHANCE ezetimibe IMPROVE-IT LDL Merck vytorin Source Type: blogs
IMPROVE-IT Trial Scheduled For Presentation In November
Results of the eagerly-awaited and highly controversial IMPROVE-IT trial are finally going to be revealed. The American Heart Association has announced that the trial will be presented by Chris Cannon on November 17 at 11:51 AM (central time) in Chicago at the group’s annual scientific sessions . IMPROVE-IT compared the effect on cardiovascular outcomes of the statin simvastatin with Vytorin (the combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe, manufactured by Merck) in more than 18,000 patients with acute coronary syndromes. Both Vytorin and IMPROVE-IT have been the subject of considerable controversy. … C...
Source: CardioBrief - August 12, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol ezetimibe IMPROVE-IT LDL Merck vytorin Source Type: blogs
Why are doctors still prescribing Zetia?
A health research company just released a list of the 100 top drugs in America according to sales. 29th on the list, with sales of over $1.8 billion, is the cholesterol lowering drug ezetimibe, brand name Zetia.
Continue reading ...
Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 10, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Janice Boughton, MD Tags: Meds Heart Medications Source Type: blogs
There They Go Again - Merck Threatened Legal Action Against Italian Doctor who Criticized Zetia
It seems that when confronted with unfavorable facts or opinions, Merck executives like to threaten legal action, rather than just argue their side of the case. Last month we discussed how Merck officials used the US court system to try to prevent a physician from publicizing evidence uncovered in prior litigation that suggested Merck employees had concealed the risks of Vioxx from research subjects.Legal Threats to Shut Up a Critic Recently, a British Medical Journal news article explained how Merck tried to shut up an Italian physician who dared criticize another of its drugs, Zetia (ezetimibe).The Italian branch o...
Source: Health Care Renewal - July 8, 2014 Category: Health Management Tags: anechoic effect ezetimibe legal settlements Merck Source Type: blogs
Larry Husten writes
Merck Uses Legal Threats To Stifle Negative Advice About Zetia And Vytorin In ItalyIn response to repeated legal threats, a public health doctor in Italy has withdrawn advice to curtail use of a controversial drug. The drug, ezetimibe, is a key ingredient in Zetia and Vytorin, which is manufactured by Merck . The cholesterol-lowering drug has been the subject of fierce controversy because it has never been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Despite the controversy, in 2013 the drugs had combined sales of more than $2.6 billion.MSD Italy, the Italian arm of the company, sent two “cease and desist” letter...
Source: PharmaGossip - July 7, 2014 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Merck Uses Legal Threats To Stifle Negative Advice About Zetia And Vytorin In Italy
In response to repeated legal threats, a public health doctor in Italy has withdrawn advice to curtail use of a controversial drug. The drug, ezetimibe, is a key ingredient in Zetia and Vytorin, which is manufactured by Merck. The cholesterol-lowering drug has been the subject of fierce controversy because it has never been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Despite the controversy, in 2013 the drugs had combined sales of more than $2.6 billion. MSD Italy, the Italian arm of the company, sent two “cease and desist” letters to Alberto Donzelli, who is “the head of education, More… (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - July 6, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes ezetimibe Merck vytorin Zetia Source Type: blogs
Ezetimibe In the Marketplace
Several years ago, the Schering-Plough cholesterol absorption inhibitor (Zetia, ezetimibe) and its combination pill with simvastatin (Vytorin) were the subject of a lot of puzzled controversy. A clinical trial (ENHANCE) looking at arterial wall thickness in patients with familial hypercholesteremia had unexpectedly shown little or no benefit, although statins themselves had worked in this population. This led to plenty of (still unresolved) speculation about the drug's mechanism of action, whether it really was going to be of benefit to the wider patient population, what this meant for the surrogate endpoint of LDL lowerin...
Source: In the Pipeline - March 24, 2014 Category: Chemists Tags: Cardiovascular Disease Source Type: blogs
