Drugs reviewers said Merck’s cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin was effective in reducing the rate of heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems in patients with kidney disease. Reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also said it is unlikely the blockbuster drug causes or promotes cancer. The documents were released online. The FDA review could help allay fears about the popular drug after a 2008 clinical trial showed substantially more cancer cases among patients taking Vytorin -- which pairs a new type of cholesterol fighter Zetia with Merck’s older statin drug Zocor -- than those taking a placebo.
