New names shake up cholesterol market

Anyone is at risk for high blood cholesterol—even children, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The desirable level of total cholesterol is less than 200 mg per deciliter. Yet an estimated 106.9 million American adults have total cholesterol levels of 200 and higher. Of those, 37.7 million have levels of 240 or above and are considered high risk, according to CDC data.

A high cholesterol count is a major factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in this country. So controlling cholesterol, the fatty, waxy substance that lines arterial walls, has become big business.

Several types of medications now are used to help lower cholesterol including: statin drugs, bile acid sequestrants, niacin and fibrates. Because the presence of cholesterol has no obvious symptoms until serious heart complications surface, it is important to be checked regularly.

There is a lot of volatility in the cholesterol drug market. Far and away the industry leader, Lipitor enjoyed a sales uptick of 5.7 percent to $13.7 billion in 2006, according to research firm Wood MacKenzie. But things can change quickly, and this year the brand has gone into a tailspin as competitors continue to gain ground. Worldwide, Lipitor sales fell 13 percent to $2.7 billion for second quarter 2007, driven by a 25 percent decline in the U.S. market. For the first half of the year, Lipitor posted sales of $6.1 billion, down 2 percent.

Pfizer, Lipitor’s parent, attributed the negative results to a “complex interplay of prescription trends, market-growth dynamics, branded and generic competition dynamics and payer pressures.”

Already in 2006, the market was shifting as Crestor skyrocketed 60 percent to more than $2 billion, Zetia jumped 37.9 percent to $1.9 billion and Vytorin skyrocketed 88 percent to $1.9 billion. Meanwhile, Zocor slipped 36 percent to $2.8 billion, and Pravachol fell 46 percent to $1.1 billion.

Experts noted that what has greatly impacted the brand switching is the entrance of generic versions of Zocor following the expiration of Merck’s patent in June 2006. To stay competitive Merck lowered the price of Zocor.