Prescriptions for Merck/Schering-Plough's Zetia during the drug's first six weeks on the market have been split equally between monotherapy and combination use with other cholesterol-reduction products.

"At this point, about half the patients taking Zetia are taking it concomitantly with another cholesterol-lowering medication, and about half are taking it alone," Merck Investor Relations Senior Director Mark Stejbach said on a quarterly conference call Jan. 28.

Zetia (ezetimibe) was launched in mid-November under a co-promotion deal with Schering-Plough. The cholesterol-absorption inhibitor was approved Oct. 25 (¹ Also see "Schering/Merck Zetia Clears FDA; Price Favors Combo With Low-Dose Zocor" - Pink Sheet, 4 November, 2002., p. 5). A fixed-dose combo of Zetia/Zocor will be filed at the end of 2003.

Labeling includes clinical data for Zetia both as monotherapy and in combination with Pfizer's Lipitor (atorvastatin), Merck's Zocor (simvastatin), Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pravachol (pravastatin) and Merck's Mevacor (lovastatin). Labeling indicates that Zetia use with a statin is more efficacious than ezetimibe alone.

"Of those people taking it with another medication, as you would expect, the majority is statins," Stejbach said. "As expected, they're using it concomitantly with all of the marketed statins. That's very consistent with how we are promoting it."

When co-administered with a statin, the product of choice is Lipitor, followed by Zocor and other marketed products. "That is generally and approximately the same ratio as you would expect based on the national share numbers," Stejbach noted.

"It's a little too early to assess how that will play out in terms of the overall market, but clearly it's a very strong launch, based on the prescription curves. From an execution standpoint, we're very happy and pleased with the partnership and the joint selling efforts."

Zetia generated worldwide sales of $25 mil. in the fourth quarter. The drug has a 2% share of new prescriptions; more than 100,000 U.S. scripts have been written. Zetia is being detailed by 2,400 sales reps (² [A#00640500023], p. 26).

Merck/Schering Zetia Has 50% Combo Use; Statin Of Choice Is Lipitor&nbsp;

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Merck/Schering Zetia Has 50% Combo Use; Statin Of Choice Is Lipitor