Tuesday, December 22, 2009

FDA -- "At Least Vytorin® Doesn't Appear To Elevate Cancer Risk"


Well, that makes me feel so much better (per Reuters) for a direct safety profile -- but not so much, for any future return to growth of the Vytorin® US revenue stream (as I just observed elsewhere):

. . . .The FDA pronouncement -- while nominally "good news" -- will also remind many anaylsts of the link seen in SEAS -- that is, the increased incidence of cancers, for people on Vytorin, vis-a-vis a placebo.

Now, true-enough, FDA is saying that the SEAS cancer link does not appear, at this time, to be a cause-effect link. However, if the "new" talking point on Vytorin is "Gee, at least we don't THINK it causes your cancer risk to rise, in pursuit of lower cholesterol levels. . ." Well. . . .

Merck is going to have an even tougher time -- on reversing the scrip-writing trends away from Vytorin -- compared to Crestor, Niaspan or Lipitor. None of those ever showed a cancer signal.

And each of those sport outcomes data; Vytorin sports none. . . .

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