A lawsuit alleges that marketing executives at Schering-Plough, one of the makers of Vytorin, knew long before it was released that the ENHANCE study would not be favorable.
Vytorin is a combination of Zetia and the statin Zocor that is marketed jointly by Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough. It has been under the microscope since the ENHANCE study was released, showing it was no better at preventing clogged arteries than a cheaper statin. ENHANCE raised serious questions about the effectiveness of both Vytorin and Zetia.
The ENHANCE debacle spawned scores of lawsuits against Merck and Schering-Plough. Many accused the companies of marketing Vytorin and Zetia in a misleading fashion and failing to disclose the results of ENHANCE in a timely manner. In August, the drug makers agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle class-action lawsuits filed by consumers who used Vytorin and Zetia.
Rumors have swirled ever since the ENHANCE release that Merck and Schering-Plough had known that the study would be disappointing long before the release. For example, in February 2008, we reported that Congressional investigators were looking into some incriminating comments posted on Cafepharma.com by anonymous pharmaceutical sales reps that indicated prior knowledge of the ENHANCE findings. The author of one March 2007 comment claimed to have a “buddy” at Schering-Plough. “He says that the study is a bust,” the post stated. Another post in 2007 stated, “Heard it crashed and burned!” A third, detailed post about the study stated, “Adding Zetia to high dose generic statin provides no real benefit.”
Now, Fierce Pharma is reporting that a lawsuit filed on behalf of pension plan investors has been amended to include more detailed allegations that Schering-Plough executives had prior knowledge of ENHANCE. The lawsuit claims to name those executives.
According to the complaint, a “confidential informant” claims that named members of Schering-Plough’s “Brand Team” charged with marketing Vytorin received regular updates about ENHANCE, though the study was supposed to be blinded. The lawsuit also states that the drug maker’s principle investigator suspected that Vytorin would show no benefit as early as 2005, and claims that the marketing team knew by 2006 that ENHANCE would not be favorable. Despite this, Schering-Plough continued to promote Vytorin’s supposed benefits in its marketing campaign.
The lawsuit claims that withholding the ENHANCE results artificially inflated Schering-Plough’s stock price, and that investors depended on the firm’s positive statements about Vytorin. Investors suffered when ENHANCE was finally published in 2008, and Schering-Plough’s stock fell 55 percent from its high in 2007.
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October 15th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
My husband had a stroke in 2007. He was on vytorin for approx. 3 yrs. How can we be part of the class action lawsuit.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Had your husband taken better care of himself throughout his life, he would have no need for Vytorin or any other cholesterol drug and you would not be able to try to get money that is not entitled to you. And people wonder why health care and prescription drugs cost so much. Because of the lawsuits!
November 4th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I have taken zetia, and later vytorin for a number of years. I am currently in the process of attempting to learn the starting and stopping points for zetia and the starting point for vytorin, which I continue to take. On June 18, 2002 about half my liver was removed through liver resection surgery. At this point I would like to join a class action law suit. I first began taking zetia and vytorin while I lived in St. Louis (residence there from about 1977 to 2007. I then moved to Las Vegas and have been here exactly two years on October 30 of this year.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:06 am
I have been on Vytorin for a couple of years until they raised the tier requirement and increased the price. I even tried to get a reduction by having my Cardio Doctor write and get some help on a price reduction, They refused the request. I am 81 and WWII vet and am on Social Security and Medicare. Is it too late to get in the Class Action Lawsuit. I’ll dig and find the number of years I was on Zetia then Vytorin.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:53 am
I have been takking Vytorin for over 2 plus over years. Please advise.
November 6th, 2009 at 7:04 am
I was on vytorin for several years and also on zetia at one time. My cholestrol
shot up very high after being on that medication for years.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
@ Mr. Wiesmann, surely you are NOT implying that Zetia was the cause of your liver resection surgery. This simply cannot be possible as Zetia was not approved for use in the United States until October 2002.
@ J. Bass, you should consult with your personal physician, not a web site for advice on starting or stopping any medications, including herbal and otc supplements.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I WAS ON BOTH ZETIA AND VYTORIN BACK IN 2006 – 2007… OF COURSE NOT AT THE SAME TIME… I HAD A HEART ATTACK IN 2006 AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL WHICH WAS PROABABLY THE CAUSE OF MY HEART ATTACK.. BUT TO THINK I WAS PRESCRIBED A DRUG THAT DID NOT WORK IS PATHETIC… MY QUESTION IS WHO IS AUTHORIZING THESE DRUGS THRU THE FDA? OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE IS NOT DOING THERE JOB AND SHOULD BE TERMINATED AT PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK… ALSO ABOUT YOUR LIVER BEING REMOVED… YOUR DR. IS SUPPOSED TO CHECK YOUR LIVER THRU BLOOD WORK WHILE TAKING THE MEDICATION. I ALSO WANT TO FILE A LAW SUIT.. I WAS PUT AT RISK FOR ANOTHER HEART ATTACK. HOW DO I GO ABOUT DOING THIS
November 14th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
i would like to be a part of this class action, as i had taken vytorin 10-40mg for a year from 2007thru2008 and when realized the problem i was having was from vytorin, could not get out of bed without feeling like i was gonna pass out tossed and turned all nite because i felt dizzy when i would go to bed at nite had leg cramps told my doctor so after my doctor had lab work she took me off and has me on another med.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
i was on vitorin for approx 4 years and in dec 2008 was dionoise with congestive heart failure and in feb 2009 had a defib inplanted and several months ago had my gall bladder removed
November 30th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Could someone please give me a phone number or webiste that we can go to to be apart of the class action suit against the makers of Vytorin. It would be most appreciated.