IMS Monthly Scrips for Vytorin/Zetia FLAT in October 2008

Well, a mixed IMS October 2008 monthly-bag, here: the overall market is rising albeit slightly (consider the Crestor "Juptier" effect, here!), and yet, Schering's Joint Venture is essentially flat, month over month -- (its share is now down to 10.3 percent, though) here are the raw numbers:

. . . .Total US Cholesterol Management Market

Oct 2008: 20,292

Sept 2008: 19,666

Total Merck/Schering-Plough Franchise

Oct 2008: 2,186

Sept 2008: 2,171

VYTORIN

Oct. 2008: 1,207

Sept 2008: 1,202

ZETIA

Oct. 2008: 978

Sept. 2008: 969. . .

I think it unlikely that this is the actual Vytorin bottom -- we haven't begun to see the fall-off from state government "non-approved" lists, nor the switching now underway due to the clearly superior results that Crestor (a statin) boasts, via "Jupiter". Those effects ought to first really be apparent in the IMS numbers for the new year 2009.