Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) Friday announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of LIPTRUZET tablets for the treatment of elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with primary or mixed hyperlipidemia, as adjunctive therapy to diet, when diet alone is not enough.
LIPTRUZET contains ezetimibe, an efficacious LDL cholesterol lowering therapy, and atorvastatin, currently one of the most widely prescribed statins in the U.S., said the company in a statement. It added that once-daily LIPTRUZET treats two sources of cholesterol by inhibiting both the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, through ezetimibe, and the production of cholesterol in the liver, through atorvastatin.
Commenting on the development, Peter Jones, associate professor of medicine, Baylor College of Medicine said, "A significant percentage of patients are unable to lower their LDL cholesterol to recommended levels despite treatment...Along with a healthy diet, LIPTRUZET is an effective new lipid-lowering treatment option that may help address this unmet need as the complementary actions of its components can provide significant additional LDL lowering beyond atorvastatin therapy alone."
MRK closed Friday's regular trading session at $45.67.
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