Merck cholesterol drug Vytorin helps reduce heart attack, stroke and related problems in patients with kidney disease, the Food and Drug Administration said.
Vytorin lowered kidney disease patients' heart-related problems by 16 percent compared with a placebo, the FDA said in its online review, as reported by the Associated Press. But results varied depending on whether patients were receiving dialysis: those taking the blood-cleansing treatment only saw a six percent drop in heart problems compared to a 22 percent reduction for patients not on dialysis.
The FDA will ask non-government advisers Wednesday to comment on the disparity and to vote on the overall safety and efficacy of the drug for kidney disease patients, according to the Associated Press.
The agency also found no new safety concerns with Vytorin, which in 2008 came under scrutiny for potential cancer risks.
"We believe these data should help lay to rest investor concerns about Vytorin and Zetia's safety," Leerink Swann analyst Seamus Fernandez wrote in a research note Monday, as reported by the Associated Press.
Vytorin, a $2 billion-a-year drug for Merck, combines two brand-name cholesterol pills Zocor and Zetia, according to the Associated Press.
