A House committee investigating the safety and effectiveness of the popular cholesterol drug Vytorin and one of its components is turning up the heat on the drug's makers.
Scientists may have found a way to test for and possibly avoid the most serious side effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, one of the top-selling medicines in the world
From curbside snack carts to four-star restaurants, New York City chefs have until next summer to rid their kitchens of trans fat. It's a bold move, but a necessary one, according to city health officials.
Should cholesterol drugs be given to children? New guidelines have caused a stir among doctors and parents
Merck & Co. has halted a study of an experimental drug it had touted as key to energizing its sagging cholesterol franchise, barely three weeks after U.S. regulators refused to allow sales of the drug
Blood cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary artery disease and heart attack, so reducing your risk of high cholesterol is a worthy goal.
Merck said Monday its first-quarter earnings jumped due to income from a partnership, but the drugmaker's sales showed just a slight gain.
Schering-Plough's stock jumped Thursday, after the drugmaker's chief executive announced he would cut 10% of its staff.
Schering-Plough may have lost billions of dollars in the fourth quarter from an acquisition, but its stock jumped Tuesday as the drugmaker's earnings without charges beat expectations.
As Schering-Plough unveils full-year financial results for 2007 tomorrow, CEO Fred Hassan is likely to be peppered with questions about how he managed a recently released study of embattled cholesterol drug, Vytorin.
A House committee investigating the safety and effectiveness of the popular cholesterol drug Vytorin and one of its components is turning up the heat on the drug's makers.
Scientists may have found a way to test for and possibly avoid the most serious side effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, one of the top-selling medicines in the world
From curbside snack carts to four-star restaurants, New York City chefs have until next summer to rid their kitchens of trans fat. It's a bold move, but a necessary one, according to city health officials.
Should cholesterol drugs be given to children? New guidelines have caused a stir among doctors and parents
Merck & Co. has halted a study of an experimental drug it had touted as key to energizing its sagging cholesterol franchise, barely three weeks after U.S. regulators refused to allow sales of the drug
Blood cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary artery disease and heart attack, so reducing your risk of high cholesterol is a worthy goal.
Merck said Monday its first-quarter earnings jumped due to income from a partnership, but the drugmaker's sales showed just a slight gain.
Schering-Plough's stock jumped Thursday, after the drugmaker's chief executive announced he would cut 10% of its staff.
Schering-Plough may have lost billions of dollars in the fourth quarter from an acquisition, but its stock jumped Tuesday as the drugmaker's earnings without charges beat expectations.
As Schering-Plough unveils full-year financial results for 2007 tomorrow, CEO Fred Hassan is likely to be peppered with questions about how he managed a recently released study of embattled cholesterol drug, Vytorin.
Lets face it: All the information around cholesterol makes it something of a confusing topic. Not only do we make our own cholesterol, but we also must have it to produce other important body assets, such as cell membranes and certain types of hormones.
Is low cholesterol the pathway to a healthier heart? That's certainly what most medical experts - and their patients - have assumed for the last 30 years or so. But a recently-released study of Merck and Schering-Plough's cholesterol-lowering drug, Vytorin, is giving new voice to medical critics who have groused for decades about the questionable benefit of using medications to lower cholesterol and thereby prevent heart disease.
Merck & Co. reported a surge in fourth-quarter operating earnings Wednesday that exceeded analysts' estimates, but shares slumped in early trading.
More big drugmakers are on tap this week to report strong 2007 earnings, but that's because 2006 was an easy act to follow.
Government regulators said Friday they are analyzing recent study results regarding cholesterol drug Vytorin, but that it's too early to tell whether it will take any regulatory action.
How's your cholesterol? Here's a guess: If you're healthy, you probably have no idea. New surveys show women tend to be clueless about their risks of heart disease, especially when it comes to managing their cholesterol.
Schering-Plough's stock almost crawled out of its hole Wednesday after a two-day lashing sparked by the results of a cholesterol drug trial, but the shares fell just before the market's close.
Surprising study results show that the popular heart drug doesn't live up to its claims -- and three new trials are now under way
The drugmakers Merck and Lilly are the biggest players in Big Pharma's late-stage pipeline, with three possible new blockbusters expected in the coming months.
The drugmaker Merck & Co. said Tuesday that it will seek federal approval for two new experimental drugs next year, adding that it's on track to meet its sales targets.
A researcher unveiled on Monday the results of a failed Pfizer Inc. study showing that an experimental but dangerous cholesterol drug offers medical benefits too significant to be ignored.
Abbott Laboratories unveiled significant test results Sunday for an experimental cholesterol treatment that could go on sale as soon as next year.
Diabetes is the fifth-leading killer of Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association. A sobering two out of three people with type I or type II diabetes will die from a heart attack or stroke -- the combined leading causes of death among diabetics.
Cholesterol-lowering statins may help stave off lung deterioration in the elderly, and even in patients with emphysema and COPD
Drugmaker Schering-Plough is a favorite of analysts and investors these days. It's no wonder: The company's flagship product, the cholesterol-fighting Vytorin, is breaking sales records and faces relatively little risk from cheaper generic versions from rivals.
Patients who switched from the cholesterol-cutting drug Lipitor to the competitor simvastatin increased their risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes, according to a study that Pfizer unveiled on Wednesday.
Patients who switched from the cholesterol-cutting drug Lipitor to the competitor simvastatin increased their risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes, according to a study that Pfizer unveiled on Wednesday.
A new study suggests that popular cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor may help not just the heart, but the brain as well
Pfizer lost the latest round in a patent battle over the declining blockbuster Lipitor that could be worth $6 billion to the pharma giant.
Creating custom food plans for patients isn't the hard part of Bethany Thayer's job. For the Michigan-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, one of the most difficult aspects of her work is helping patients interpret the often-contradictory health news they hear each day.
Schering-Plough Corp. said Monday that second-quarter earnings rose sharply, fueled by growing demand for its Zetia and Vytorin cholesterol drugs and treatments for arthritis and allergies.
Pfizer Inc. on Wednesday reported lower-than-expected quarterly earnings on competition with generics, and said global sales of cholesterol fighter Lipitor fell 13 percent amid slipping demand for the company's flagship product.
Pfizer is not in the best of shape. The beating its stock took on Wednesday shows it. The question is, should the drug maker diet or bulk up?
Cholesterol-lowering statins - which include the world's top-selling drug, Lipitor - and other drugs called fibrates can lower the risk of developing a common form of nerve damage in diabetics that often results in amputations, according to study results unveiled Friday.
It's hard out there for drug sales reps--particularly if they work in places where gaining access to doctors is becoming increasingly difficult.
An extremely potent experimental cholesterol drug being developed by Eli Lilly and Co. failed to show an advantage over an existing treatment sold by Abbott Laboratories Inc. in a clinical trial that could determine the fate of the medicine.
As Big Pharma faces patent expirations on some of its most lucrative drugs, the industry is trying to reinvigorate sales by finding creative ways to land new patents - but on the same old drugs.
An experimental drug from AtheroGenics and its partner AstraZeneca failed a late-stage clinical trial and is not considered an effective treatment in reducing heart disease, the companies said.
There's nothing unusual about a Big Pharma company with outgoing blockbusters and a weak pipeline. Virtually every major drugmaker in America is struggling with this issue.
Novartis could be the hottest drug giant in 2007, analysts say, with Schering-Plough and Eli Lilly & Co. not far behind.
After a rough couple of years dealing with patent expirations and the often frustrating hunt for new products, drug industry executives would love nothing better than an oracle to predict what products in their labs will become the big blockbuster drugs over the next few years.
You'd think 12,000 scientists could fill a drug pipeline. And they probably can. But can they fill it to Wall Street's satisfaction?
The California-based biotech Isis Pharmaceuticals could have an effective cholesterol-cutting blockbuster in the works, though it's still early to know for sure.
Merck is experimenting with a new arthritis painkiller that could replace Vioxx, the former billion-dollar blockbuster that has proven to be a liability for the company.
Even if you're in perfect health now, just thinking about the cost of medical care is bound to make you feel a little ill. With the price of everything from hospital visits to prescription drugs up...
It may be America's No. 1 killer, but people aren't scared enough of heart disease, says a top U.S. research cardiologist.
This is a good year for Teva Pharmaceuticals. The world's biggest maker of generic drugs is launching nonbranded versions of three major blockbusters: Zocor, Zoloft and Pravachol.
Drugmaker Schering-Plough may have wowed investors with strong second-quarter earnings - but the company has a cholesterol problem.
A bowl of broth - that was lunch the day I arrived in Richmond. For dinner, two bottles of lemon-flavored Fleet Phospho-soda and four bisacodyl tablets. You see where this is heading?
Pfizer's old reliable - the anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor - could very well be the hero of the second quarter.
The world's biggest drugmaker is launching a potential blockbuster today, but it's going to take more than that for the company to pull out of its rut.
Two of the biggest blockbuster drugs from the two biggest drugmakers in America are losing patent protection this month, setting the stage for a multi-billion dollar sales vacuum.
A bowl of broth--that was lunch the day I arrived in Richmond. For dinner, two bottles of lemon-flavored Fleet Phospho-soda and four bisacodyl tablets. You see where this is heading? I went to bed ...
Merck and Schering-Plough announced a study on Sunday showing that their combination drug Vytorin is better at lowering cholesterol than competing drug Crestor from AstraZeneca.
Two of the biggest blockbuster drugs from the two biggest drug makers in America are losing patent protection this month, setting the stage for a multi-billion dollar sales vacuum.
Merck and Schering-Plough fired a shot across Pfizer's bow in the battle for control of the lucrative $25 billion cholesterol market with a new study saying their product is better for diabetics.
Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug from the world's leading pharmaceutical company, has been targeted by two lawsuits blaming it for memory loss and damage to the nervous system.
Merck is funding a large-scale study to see if an experimental drug that boosts a certain type of cholesterol can prevent heart attacks and strokes, possibly strengthening its position in the $25 billion cholesterol industry even as a key blockbuster teeters on the brink of patent expiration.
Good news for women
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's biggest maker of generic drugs, could enjoy hundreds of millions of dollars in extra revenue this year and a substantial increase to its earnings, thanks to a court ruling this week regarding the cholesterol drug Zocor.
Big drugmakers put up mostly strong earnings this week, triggering a variety of reactions on the stock market and a mixed bag of analyst expectations for the year.
Merck reported strong first-quarter profit Thursday, beating consensus projections on a slight increase in sales, and prompting the drugmaker to ramp up its earnings projection for the full year despite the imminent patent loss of its top-selling product, Zocor.
IS Hank McKinnell a failure? A success? Or something in between? Those are the questions people in and out of Pfizer are pondering as its CEO enters his final years on the job.
Big Pharma stocks have had a decent year and analysts say they're poised to climb higher. But investors will have to be able to stomach some uncertainty.
Merck was once a stock-market safe haven but it's been some time since that's been the case.
Pfizer faces a lawsuit claiming it marketed the cholesterol-reducing drug Lipitor for non-approved purposes -- a claim it may hear a lot as states battle costs due to expanded Medicare drug coverage.
The "lower is better" cholesterol story has been around for decades, but this week researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that a lifetime of low cholesterol looks like a superior way to avoid heart disease.
Potential buyers are knocking on Pfizer's door for its $10 billion consumer products division, and people are scratching their heads over what the company plans to once they get their hands on the money.
Lots of heart
Schering-Plough, once the troubled child of the drug industry, is making a comeback with a hot new drug.
A new study shows that Vytorin, a cholesterol drug from Merck and Schering-Plough that combines Zocor and Zetia, significantly reduces cholesterol when compared to Zocor alone, the company said.
Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical AstraZeneca said Monday that its blockbuster anti-cholesterol treatment Crestor has passed a key scientific trial.
Pfizer stock's got battered and bloodied last year, but it's making a comeback.
Drugs that lower cholesterol also have life-saving potential for stroke patients, according to a study released Thursday. Investing analysts doubt that this new benefit will add momentum to drug sales.
Pfizer, the behemoth of drug makers, is on the hot seat this week.
Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug from the world's biggest drug company, created cause for concern in Pfizer's 2005 fourth quarter.
Happy New Year
Drug stocks took a pummeling in 2005, sliding in value and underperforming the S&P index, and analysts are mixed as to what Baby New Year will bring.
Pfizer shares surged Monday after several analysts made positive comments about the stock following the drugmaker's victory in a battle over the patent for Lipitor, the world's best selling prescription medicine.
Little good news
An experimental drug from Sanofi-Aventis has been shown to have multiple benefits in treating heart disease and diabetes, the big French drugmaker announced Wednesday.
Pfizer failed to prove that Lipitor, its top-selling cholesterol reducer, does a significantly better job in reducing fatal heart attacks that Merck's cholesterol-cutting Zocor, the company said at the American Heart Association conference Tuesday.
Tricor, a cholesterol drug from Abbott Laboratories, reduced non-fatal heart attacks in diabetics by 24 percent, according to a study unveiled Monday at the American Heart Association conference.
Abbott Laboratories, one of America's largest drugmakers, plans to reveal data showing that use of Tricor in type 2 diabetics could prevent heart disease, the company said.
Pfizer, one of the top players in the $60 billion market for heart-disease drugs, said that next week it will unveil data on an experimental smoking cessation drug that analysts say has blockbuster potential.
If the future of Big Pharma can be read in its pipelines, Eli Lilly & Co. and Sanofi-Aventis are among the few bright spots, analysts say -- but investors should also look at Pfizer, which is experimenting with a drug combo that could outsell all others.
Merck maintains its defense for Vioxx, the beleaguered painkiller that was pulled off the market in 2004 and has been blamed for heart attacks in a growing tally of lawsuits, a top company lawyer said Monday.
A bit of good news
Heartsick women at disadvantage
Investors are biting their nails over Pfizer's future with Lipitor, which could become an unprecedented $14 billion blockbuster by 2007, or could take an $8 billion hit to sales, depending on the outcome of its patent litigation cases.
Some scientists look down their noses at me-too drugs, but they can't help but notice the smell of money.
Vytorin, a relatively new cholesterol-blocking drug from Merck and Schering-Plough, has outpaced sales of a blockbuster rival, according to a report Monday from Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co.
If you're hoping for some good results from the drug sector this week, take an aspirin. With two exceptions, the Street expects the earnings pain among drug makers to continue.
Pfizer Inc. said on Wednesday it has begun production of a key new drug that combines its best-selling cholesterol drug Lipitor with a new compound designed to raise levels of "good" cholesterol.
Sales for Vytorin, a cholesterol-treating combination produced by Merck and Schering-Plough, have grown since its market debut last summer, but the drug's real test lies ahead, analysts say.
The heart of the story
The good
An advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shot down an attempt by Merck & Co. Inc. to peddle a prescription cholesterol-reduction drug as an over-the-counter medication on Friday, but the company's share price scarcely budged after the announcement.
Listening to Ray Gilmartin, you can't help but be struck by how matter-of-fact and calm the man seems. The 63-year-old Merck chairman and CEO is soft-spoken, quick with a smile, and unfailingly pol...
Will one statin a day keep the doctor away? That's the question Americans and their doctors are asking as medical research suggests the drugs do far more than lower cholesterol. The buzz started ...
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