Negative Vytorin Study Prompts Lawsuits

Reports that Vytorin is no more effective than generic drugs in battling cholesterol have already generated lawsuits.

The suits claim drug makers Merck & Co. Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp. delayed release of the negative study while touting the drug’s benefits, the National Law Journal reports.

Lawyer Steve Berman of Seattle filed a federal suit on Jan. 17 in New Jersey. The same day lawyer David Rheingold filed suit on behalf of his wife, a Vytorin user, in federal court in New York.

Berman’s suit seeks refunds for consumers who bought the drug. "They were paying out of pocket because they were told [Vytorin] would lower their plaque,” he told the newspaper. “They wouldn't have paid for it if the drug was truthfully marketed."