CardioExchange Archive

A combination tablet containing the cholesterol-lowering drugs ezetimibe and atorvastatin is back on the path to possible FDA approval, according to Merck, which already markets Zetia (ezetimibe) and Vytorin, the combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin. Merck has repeatedly stumbled in its efforts to gain FDA approval of the proposed new drug, which has been dubbed “Son of Vytorin.” The new drug-application (NDA) submission was first rejected by the FDA in 2009 and again last year.

Merck said yesterday that the FDA had accepted Merck’s resubmission of its NDA, which included additional data provided by Merck in response to the FDA’s rejection of the application last year. Merck said it also planned to pursue approval of the drug in other countries.

Despite its potent cholesterol-lowering effects, the clinical benefits of ezetimibe have never been demonstrated, prompting furious debates about the proper role of surrogate endpoints. Last year the FDA rejected a new indication for Vytorin and  Zetia (ezetimibe alone) in patients with chronic kidney disease, as the independent effect of ezetimibe had not been assessed in SHARP, the pivotal study for the indication. Results of the IMPROVE-IT trial, expected this year, may finally resolve the question of whether ezetimibe is beneficial.