Merck and Schering-Plough plan to develop a new cholesterol drug that combines their Zetia with atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Pfizer's Lipitor. Their plan is to introduce the new combo pill once Lipitor, which earned $12.9 billion last year alone, loses patent protection as early as 2010. It's likely to be a successful formula. Vytorin, which combines Zetia with Merck's Zocor, earned $2 billion in U.S. sales last year. Merck says data indicates that a combination of Lipitor and Zetia works significantly better than Lipitor alone.
- see the press release for more
- read the report AP report on the new drug