For Immediate Release WHITEHOUSE STATION and KENILWORTH, N.J., Oct. 28, 2004 -- Results from a new clinical trial conducted in 1,902 patients with high cholesterol showed that VYTORIN^TM (ezetimibe/simvastatin) provided greater reduction in LDL ("bad") cholesterol across the dosing ranges compared to Lipitor. At the most commonly used starting doses of these two therapies, VYTORIN 10/20 mg decreased LDL cholesterol by 51 percent compared with 36 percent for Lipitor 10 mg (p<0.001).

In a subgroup of high risk patients (CHD or CHD risk equivalent), significant differences in LDL cholesterol reductions at these doses resulted in more patients achieving a goal of less than 100 mg/dL with VYTORIN as compared to Lipitor; specifically, 82 percent of high risk patients on VYTORIN 10/20 mg (n=106) achieved a cholesterol lowering goal of less than 100 mg/dL as compared to only 47 percent for patients on Lipitor 10 mg (n=106, p<0.001). High risk patients in the study with a goal of less than 100 mg/dL who were taking VYTORIN 10/20 mg had a baseline LDL cholesterol of 166 mg/dL as compared to patients taking Lipitor 10 mg who had a baseline of 169 mg/dL.

The results were presented this week at the 15th International Symposium on Drugs Affecting Lipid Metabolism (DALM), in Venice, Italy. Additional results from the study showed that VYTORIN 10/40 mg decreased LDL cholesterol by 59 percent compared to 48 percent for Lipitor 40 mg in the subgroup of high risk patients. These patients had a baseline LDL cholesterol values of 169 mg/dL and 175 mg/dL respectively (p<0.001). In a post-hoc analysis of these data, significant differences in LDL cholesterol reductions, at all doses compared, resulted in more high risk patients achieving LDL cholesterol levels less than 70 mg/dL with VYTORIN as compared to Lipitor. In particular, 57 percent of high risk patients taking VYTORIN 10/40 mg (n=112) achieved a LDL cholesterol goal of less than 70 mg/dL as c
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Contact: Skip Irvine, Merck & Co., Inc.
267-305-5397
Porter Novelli
28-Oct-2004

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