In what could easily be perceived as a marketing ploy Pfizer released a study 2 weeks ago showing that people who switched from Pfizer's Lipitor to Merck's Zocor increased their risk of heart attack or stroke.
[Source CNN Money]
The study tracked patients from 1997 to 2005 who had taken Lipitor for 6 months and then switched to Zocor. The study tracked 9,009 patients that continued with Lipitor and 2,511 that switched to Zocor. Findings were that those that switched experienced a 30 percent increase in their risk of major cardiovascular events.
Those the two drugs both are used to lower cholesterol, they are based on different molecular compounds. The patent on Zocor expired in 2006 which resulted in a plunge in sales as low cost generics replaced the top selling drug.
My doubt as to the motives behind the study is based on the fact that Pfizer conducted and paid for it. How independent can the research be if its bought and paid for by the company its findings help? However, it is somehting to keep in mind if you are thinking of switching medications.
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