UK's NICE says Ezetrol is cost-effective

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the UK advisory body which approves medical treatments for the National Health Service in England and Wales, has recommended the use of Ezetrol (ezetimibe) co-administered with a statin, as a cost-effective option for patients whose serum-total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is not appropriately controlled by the statin alone, but are being considered for another drug.

The drug is marketed as a joint venture by US drugmakers Merck Sharp & Dohme (the UK arm of Merck & Co) and Schering-Plough. In addition, the NICE recommends Ezetrol monotherapy in patients where statins are either contraindicated, or where the patient is intolerant of them.

Michael Livingston, director of the patient group HEART UK, said: "we are delighted with the outcome of this appraisal. Increased prescribing of ezetimibe in patients with high cholesterol will be of enormous benefit in preventing premature deaths caused by high cholesterol and CHD [chronic heart disease]."