Merck, referred to as MSD outside the US and Canada, has obtained FDA approval for Liptruzet tablets as an adjunctive therapy to diet for the treatment of elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in primary or mixed hyperlipidemia patients.
Liptruzet, administered once per day when diet alone is not sufficient, contains Ezetimibe, efficacious LDL cholesterol lowering therapy, and atorvastatin, a statin.
Two sources of cholesterol can be treated by inhibiting both the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, through ezetimibe, and the production of cholesterol in the liver, through atorvastatin
Baylor College of Medicine associate professor of medicine Peter Jones said, "Along with a healthy diet, LIPTRUZET (ezetimibe and atorvastatin) is an effective new lipid-lowering treatment option that may help address this unmet need as the complementary actions of its components can provide significant additional LDL lowering beyond atorvastatin therapy alone."
The prescription medicine will be available as a once-daily tablet containing 10mg of ezetimibe combined with 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg of atorvastatin.
