BRIEF—Ezetimibe reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, says IQWiG

Given in addition to stating therapy, US pharma giant Merck & Co’s Zetia/Vytorin (ezetimibe) has a preventive effect in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary syndrome (ACS), according to Germany’s health cost watchdog the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).

Patients with a history of CHD or ACS benefit more from treatment with a statin in combination with ezetimibe than from treatment with a statin alone.

However, there is no hint that the combination therapy of a statin plus ezetimibe is also superior to the combination of a statin plus the lipid-lowering drug alirocumab, Sanofi’s Praluent.

No studies on other lipid-lowering combination options were available, said the IQWiG.

These are the findings of the IQWiG in a current benefit assessment commissioned by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in November 2018.

Zetia/Vytorin generated sales of $232 million for Merck in the second quarter of 2019.