LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Vytorin Fraudulent Marketing
By Jane Mundy
The makers of the cholesterol drug Vytorin are under fire for allegedly making false claims in their marketing campaign. New York Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo is investigating whether Vytorin's marketing campaign violated the state's laws regarding false advertising. Specifically, officials are concerned that, despite results from a study that found Vytorin was no more effective than generic drugs.
About two years ago, Deloy's doctor prescribed Vytorin to lower his cholesterol. "My doctor was taking it as well so that was good enough for me," says Deloy. "Then I saw ads on TV about how great it was and that reassured me even moreâ€"it takes care of what your mum gave you and what your wife gives you." But Vytorin didn't give. In fact, it took.
[MORE: VYTORIN TRUST DOCTORS]
Until a year ago, Larry Matthews had a normal life in this area near the Georgia-Tennessee border. He was physically active at home and at work, and like many men of a certain age, was keeping an eye on his cholesterol and blood pressure. That was before Vytorin, the combination Zetia/Zocor (simvastatin) anti-cholesterol drug from Merck/Schering-Plough, changed things for the worse.
[MORE: VYTORIN WHY?]
Liz has always harbored suspicions about medications she could not substantiate and sitting at the top of her list is Vytorin, the cholesterol-lowering drug she has taken for five years.
[MORE: VYTORIN SIDE EFFECT]
"My doctor had me on Zetia and Zocor then I switched to Vytorin when it came on the market," says Jeffrey Aaronson. "Every month I spent $200 on this drug and all I got were nasty side effects." He also got two more heart attacks.
[MORE: VYTORIN GOOD FOR NOTHING]
"Vytorin should be accused of fraudulent marketing just on the price alone," says Garry Jones. "And it was marketed as something that it did not do and because of this, I suffered a heart attack."
[MORE: VYTORIN DUPES PATIENTS]
"I started taking Vytorin two years ago with the assumption that it would treat two things: good and bad cholesterol," says John Harris. "Now I am finding out about Vytorin's side effects and it doesn't look good."
When Merck dragged its feet for 21 months before releasing the ENHANCE study shaming Vytorin, the manufacturer allegedly did more than delay the bad news: it may have also delayed the returns, and derailed the retirement plans of thousands of investors unaware of a ticking time bomb. But Merck knew, and in so doing may have breached its fiduciary duty to investors under ERISA guidelines.
[MORE: MERCK VIOLATION]
The message could not have been clearer. At a major cardiology conference Sunday in Chicago, a gathering of 5,000 of the country's leading cardiologists were told unequivocally that cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia should only be used as a therapy of last resort, given the now-widely-held view that the two drugs may not work.
[MORE: VYTORIN MAY NOT WORK]
APR-31-08: A year and half after being on Vytorin, Richard had to undergo emergency triple bypass surgery. His doctor had put him on Vytorin in July 2005, around the time the new cholesterol drug became available. But for eight years prior to that Richard had taken Zocor (simvistatin), one of the two drugs actually contained in the Vytorin pill.
[MORE: VYTORIN EMERGENCY]
APR-19-08: Shelva's husband, Raymond, had to go to hospital recently to have his stent replaced. Raymond has taken Vytorin for two years, and began taking the block-buster anti-cholesterol drug just before he had is original stent put in. According to the claims of the makers of Vytorin, Raymond's cholesterol should have been reduced, so much so in fact that he wouldn't need a new stent in such short order, if at all. [MORE: VYTORIN NOT EFFECTIVE]
MAR-17-08: They proved endearing to some, downright obnoxious to others. But the most annoying aspect of the allegedly fraudulent Vytorin TV ads featuring actors dressed to look like food, was that the ads promised the moon, while the product itself appears to have delivered little more than a lump of coal.
[MORE: VYTORIN SNAKE OIL]
MAR-17-08: There's nothing worse for a consumer than being promised one thing, only to be given something entirely different. Such is the case for users of Vytorin, the cholesterol-fighter that is being investigated for false advertising in the wake of new data that questions the drugs' effectiveness.
[MORE: VYTORIN SNAKE OIL]
MAR-02-08: This is the story of a drug company, like most other drug companies, that appears to put the profits ahead of the people. At least, that's the accusation coming from a dear, old 72-year-old grandmother who is serving as the lead plaintiff for a potential class-action lawsuit against the makers of Vytorin.
[MORE: VYTORIN FALSE ADVERTISING]
FEB-26-08: On February 15, 2008 a House Committee suggested that Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp., the manufacturers of Vytorin, were aware of the negative ENHANCE study results nine months before it was made public, yet the giant drug companies continued to market the popular heart drug/ cholesterol medicine. According to the study, Vytorin had little effect on the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
[MORE: VYTORIN MARKETING MESS]
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Blocked Arteries and Heart Attack While Taking Vytorin
Stephen, a 57-year old police officer, is the picture of health. He cycles regularly, works out regularly, has never smoked, and doesn't drink. About two years ago he went to his doctor for a routine physical, and his cholesterol levels were found to be very high. So his doctor put him Vytorin. [MORE: VYTORIN HEART ATTACK]Vytorin: "My Heart Attack could have been Prevented"
About two years ago, Deloy's doctor prescribed Vytorin to lower his cholesterol. "My doctor was taking it as well so that was good enough for me," says Deloy. "Then I saw ads on TV about how great it was and that reassured me even moreâ€"it takes care of what your mum gave you and what your wife gives you." But Vytorin didn't give. In fact, it took.
[MORE: VYTORIN TRUST DOCTORS]Vytorin: "No one could tell me why I had a heart attack."
Until a year ago, Larry Matthews had a normal life in this area near the Georgia-Tennessee border. He was physically active at home and at work, and like many men of a certain age, was keeping an eye on his cholesterol and blood pressure. That was before Vytorin, the combination Zetia/Zocor (simvastatin) anti-cholesterol drug from Merck/Schering-Plough, changed things for the worse.
[MORE: VYTORIN WHY?]Woman Suspicious of Vytorin's Side Effects
Liz has always harbored suspicions about medications she could not substantiate and sitting at the top of her list is Vytorin, the cholesterol-lowering drug she has taken for five years.
[MORE: VYTORIN SIDE EFFECT]Vytorin: Good for Absolutely Nothing
"My doctor had me on Zetia and Zocor then I switched to Vytorin when it came on the market," says Jeffrey Aaronson. "Every month I spent $200 on this drug and all I got were nasty side effects." He also got two more heart attacks.
[MORE: VYTORIN GOOD FOR NOTHING]Patients Duped by Fraudulent Marketing of Vytorin
Vytorin doing more Harm than Good
The last thing Denise J. thought about was heart disease when her doctor prescribed Vytorin to lower her cholesterol count. But matters of the heart are as serious as a heart attack. [MORE: VYTORIN DOES HARM]Vytorin: Not even doing half its Claim
"I started taking Vytorin two years ago with the assumption that it would treat two things: good and bad cholesterol," says John Harris. "Now I am finding out about Vytorin's side effects and it doesn't look good."
Vytorin: Fraudulent Marketing
A study has found that found Vytorin was no more effective than generic drugs, which are cheaper than Vytorin. However, Merck and Schering-Plough continued to run an ad campaign claiming that Vytorin was a better product. According to the commercials, Vytorin is effective at treating high cholesterol that is caused both by heredity and diet. The commercials for Vytorin were pulled from the airwaves on January 22, 2008.
US Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), says that his staff polled pharmacies in cities throughout New York and found that people were paying much more for Vytorin (sometimes over $100 for 30 pills) than for similar generic drugs, which are reportedly just as effective as Vytorin.
(Vytorin, which has been on the market since 2004, is a combination of two drugs â€" one of the early statin medications, simvastatin (also known as Zocor), made by Merck, and ezetimibe, or Zetia, made by Schering-Plough.)
Cuomo is also investigating claims that the companies did not publicly disclose negative findings about Vytorin while still advertising it as a highly effective drug.
Merck and Shering-Plough were already under fire because the results of the ENHANCE study, which was completed in 2006, were not released until 21 months after the study was completed. Even then, the results were only released after investigators wrote to the companies demanding an explanation for the delay.
On January 14, 2008, the makers announced that, although Vytorin reduced levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), in a group of 750 patients, the medication had little effect on the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which often leads to heart attack and stroke. Furthermore, results from the study showed that Vytorin may even have adverse health consequences in the form of increased plaque buildup in the neck arteries.
Patients who used Vytorin, believing it was a superior way to treat high cholesterol, are now investigating the possibility of lawsuits against Merck and Schering-Plough.
Merck has previously been sued for concealing and misrepresenting the risks associated with Vioxx.
US Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), says that his staff polled pharmacies in cities throughout New York and found that people were paying much more for Vytorin (sometimes over $100 for 30 pills) than for similar generic drugs, which are reportedly just as effective as Vytorin.
(Vytorin, which has been on the market since 2004, is a combination of two drugs â€" one of the early statin medications, simvastatin (also known as Zocor), made by Merck, and ezetimibe, or Zetia, made by Schering-Plough.)
Cuomo is also investigating claims that the companies did not publicly disclose negative findings about Vytorin while still advertising it as a highly effective drug.
Merck and Shering-Plough were already under fire because the results of the ENHANCE study, which was completed in 2006, were not released until 21 months after the study was completed. Even then, the results were only released after investigators wrote to the companies demanding an explanation for the delay.On January 14, 2008, the makers announced that, although Vytorin reduced levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), in a group of 750 patients, the medication had little effect on the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which often leads to heart attack and stroke. Furthermore, results from the study showed that Vytorin may even have adverse health consequences in the form of increased plaque buildup in the neck arteries.
Patients who used Vytorin, believing it was a superior way to treat high cholesterol, are now investigating the possibility of lawsuits against Merck and Schering-Plough.
Merck has previously been sued for concealing and misrepresenting the risks associated with Vioxx.
More about Vytorin Fraudulent Marketing
Possible Merck ERISA Violation Regarding Vytorin
When Merck dragged its feet for 21 months before releasing the ENHANCE study shaming Vytorin, the manufacturer allegedly did more than delay the bad news: it may have also delayed the returns, and derailed the retirement plans of thousands of investors unaware of a ticking time bomb. But Merck knew, and in so doing may have breached its fiduciary duty to investors under ERISA guidelines.
[MORE: MERCK VIOLATION]Vytorin and Zetia May Not Work: Cardiologists
The message could not have been clearer. At a major cardiology conference Sunday in Chicago, a gathering of 5,000 of the country's leading cardiologists were told unequivocally that cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia should only be used as a therapy of last resort, given the now-widely-held view that the two drugs may not work.
[MORE: VYTORIN MAY NOT WORK]Vytorin Press Releases
MAY-04-08: 2004 was a good year for Claudia - until Halloween night. Claudia was at a party when she noticed she wasn't feeling well. She went to hospital several days later and found out that she had suffered a heart attack. Her doctor put her on Vytorin, and she remained on it for three years, until she had a stroke. If the Vytorin was working as it was meant to, would she still have had a stroke? [MORE: VYTORIN RESPONSIBLE?]APR-31-08: A year and half after being on Vytorin, Richard had to undergo emergency triple bypass surgery. His doctor had put him on Vytorin in July 2005, around the time the new cholesterol drug became available. But for eight years prior to that Richard had taken Zocor (simvistatin), one of the two drugs actually contained in the Vytorin pill.
[MORE: VYTORIN EMERGENCY]APR-19-08: Shelva's husband, Raymond, had to go to hospital recently to have his stent replaced. Raymond has taken Vytorin for two years, and began taking the block-buster anti-cholesterol drug just before he had is original stent put in. According to the claims of the makers of Vytorin, Raymond's cholesterol should have been reduced, so much so in fact that he wouldn't need a new stent in such short order, if at all. [MORE: VYTORIN NOT EFFECTIVE]
MAR-17-08: They proved endearing to some, downright obnoxious to others. But the most annoying aspect of the allegedly fraudulent Vytorin TV ads featuring actors dressed to look like food, was that the ads promised the moon, while the product itself appears to have delivered little more than a lump of coal.
[MORE: VYTORIN SNAKE OIL]
MAR-17-08: There's nothing worse for a consumer than being promised one thing, only to be given something entirely different. Such is the case for users of Vytorin, the cholesterol-fighter that is being investigated for false advertising in the wake of new data that questions the drugs' effectiveness.
[MORE: VYTORIN SNAKE OIL]
MAR-02-08: This is the story of a drug company, like most other drug companies, that appears to put the profits ahead of the people. At least, that's the accusation coming from a dear, old 72-year-old grandmother who is serving as the lead plaintiff for a potential class-action lawsuit against the makers of Vytorin.
[MORE: VYTORIN FALSE ADVERTISING]
FEB-26-08: On February 15, 2008 a House Committee suggested that Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp., the manufacturers of Vytorin, were aware of the negative ENHANCE study results nine months before it was made public, yet the giant drug companies continued to market the popular heart drug/ cholesterol medicine. According to the study, Vytorin had little effect on the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
[MORE: VYTORIN MARKETING MESS]Vytorin In the News
APR-11-08: A probe by two Michigan democrats continues to create serious concerns regarding the conduct and reporting of the drugmakers' controversial Enhance trial. [REUTERS: VYTORIN]
MAR-19-08: Further investigation into Vytorin data is slated for the annual meeting of American College of Cardiology at the end of the month. [WALL STREET JOURNAL: VYTORIN MARKETING]
FEB-21-08: Due to recent information, Vytorin's share of prescriptions has fallen almost three percent in the last month. [STAR LEDGER: VYTORIN]
JAN-29-08: Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that his state is investigating Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp.'s behavior relating to the marketing of Vytorin, adding to the list of government entities interested in the topic. [WALL STREET JOURNAL: VYTORIN MARKETING]
JAN-28-08: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has launched an investigation, brought under New York's False Claims Act and consumer protection laws, focusing on the aggressive marketing of Vytorin to unsuspecting patients and doctors. [GAZETTE: VYTORIN MARKETING]
JAN-24-08: A lawsuit has been filed in Florida court alleging violations of state consumer protection statutes, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages from Merck and Schering-Plough for their marketing and sale of Vytorin and Zetia. [CNN MONEY: VYTORIN MARKETING]
MAR-19-08: Further investigation into Vytorin data is slated for the annual meeting of American College of Cardiology at the end of the month. [WALL STREET JOURNAL: VYTORIN MARKETING]
FEB-21-08: Due to recent information, Vytorin's share of prescriptions has fallen almost three percent in the last month. [STAR LEDGER: VYTORIN]
JAN-29-08: Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that his state is investigating Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp.'s behavior relating to the marketing of Vytorin, adding to the list of government entities interested in the topic. [WALL STREET JOURNAL: VYTORIN MARKETING]
JAN-28-08: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has launched an investigation, brought under New York's False Claims Act and consumer protection laws, focusing on the aggressive marketing of Vytorin to unsuspecting patients and doctors. [GAZETTE: VYTORIN MARKETING]
JAN-24-08: A lawsuit has been filed in Florida court alleging violations of state consumer protection statutes, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages from Merck and Schering-Plough for their marketing and sale of Vytorin and Zetia. [CNN MONEY: VYTORIN MARKETING]
Vytorin False Advertising Legal Help
If you or a loved one have used Vytorin over a generic drug because of Vytorin advertising claims, please fill in our form to send your complaint to a lawyer to evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.Last updated on
VYTORIN LEGAL ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS
Stroke, Fatty Liver, and Diabetes - Is Vytorin Responsible?
Blocked Arteries and Heart Attack While Taking Vytorin
Emergency Triple Bypass Surgery 18 Months After Starting Vytorin
May 4, 2008
2004 was a good year for Claudia - until Halloween night. Claudia was at a party when she noticed she wasn't feeling well. She went to hospital several days later and found out that she had suffered a heart attack. Her doctor put her on Vytorin, and she remained on it for three years, until she had a stroke. If the Vytorin was working as it was meant to, would she still have had a stroke? READ MORE
Blocked Arteries and Heart Attack While Taking Vytorin
May 1, 2008
Stephen, a 57-year old police officer, is the picture of health. He cycles regularly, works out regularly, has never smoked, and doesn't drink. About two years ago he went to his doctor for a routine physical, and his cholesterol levels were found to be very high. So his doctor put him Vytorin. READ MORE
Emergency Triple Bypass Surgery 18 Months After Starting Vytorin
April 30, 2008
A year and half after being on Vytorin, Richard had to undergo emergency triple bypass surgery. His doctor had put him on Vytorin in July 2005, around the time the new cholesterol drug became available. But for eight years prior to that Richard had taken Zocor (simvistatin), one of the two drugs actually contained in the Vytorin pill. READ MORE
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