A New Class of Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Emerges

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the release of a new class of cholesterol lowering drug on the market. The first drug in this new class, Zetia® (ezetimibe), is manufactured by Schering-Plough and Merck. Zetia® is taken orally in conjunction with a statin drug and aids in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. It specifically acts at level of the brush border of the small intestine by preventing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.
Clinical trials analyzing the effects of Zetia® have proven very promising. When taken with a statin drug, patients with high cholesterol levels found a significant reduction in their LDL levels in comparison to taking statin drugs alone. Even doubling the dose of their statin drug did not compare to the reduced levels of LDL seen when Zetia and the statin drug were taken in combination.
Clinical trials have also proven that Zetia® is relatively safe, although no long term studies are currently available. The only note of concern during these trials was the consistently elevated level of serum transaminases (liver enzymes) seen when Zetia® was taken with a statin drug.
You should not take this drug if:

•You have liver disease.

•You have demonstrated a previous allergy to ezetimibe.

•You are nursing or are pregnant.

•You already have an abnormally high level of serum transaminases.