Posted on 12/16/2005 6:16:26 PM PST by BenLurkin
Merck (nyse: MRK - news - people )'s new HDL elevator, a drug developed to raise "good" cholesterol in the body, "complicates the cholesterol market" said Merrill Lynch analyst David Risinger in a report Friday.
Hank McKinnell, the chief executive of Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people ), indicated recently that the company's "torcetrapip/Lipitor combination is a $10 billion opportunity" for Pfizer. Risinger said he believes Merck's new HDL elevator, MK-0524A, which Merck discussed at an analyst meeting Thursday, "introduces a new level of commercial risk" for Pfizer's combination LDL/HDL product, "which is the primary pipeline product expected to replace lost Lipitor revenue in 2011," said the analyst.
The analyst cited concern that "investors will worry that Merck could prioritize MK-0524B (MK-0524A in combination with Zocor) over Vytorin given more favorable economics to Merck with an internally developed, un-partnered product." Vytorin is a joint venture between Merck and Schering-Plough (nyse: SGP - news - people ). "We note that this 'competing product issue' was a similar concern for investors ahead of Vytorin's launch in August 2004, since Merck had an incentive to favor Zocor over Vytorin. However, this concern faded with the strong launch of Vytorin," Risinger said.
"We caution against overreaction; this is not a done deal," said the analyst. Safety data isn't yet in, the "Food and Drug Administration could still require a large cardiovascular outcomes trial, delaying launch to the 2010-2011 period," and "it is very difficult to compare the clinical profiles of these products at this early stage of development," he cautioned.
Lipitor and Zetia keeps mine below 100.
Oooh, I know what drug I'm putting a Google alert on.... Many people don't realize how critical a good strong HDL number is to good arterial health.
Yeah, but what's your LDL/HDL ratio? My overall number was just fine, but my HDL was really low, and this was a major factor in my heart attack.
"Yeah, but what's your LDL/HDL ratio?"
What is a "good" LDL/HDL ratio? My total cholesterol for many years has hovered around 155 to 175. This year it suddenly jumped to around 200 where they start getting concerned. However, my HDL was 50. So, my total HDL to Total cholesterol ratio was 1/4. Is that good, bad, fair?
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