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Congress Launches Investigation Of Advertising For Cholesterol Drug Vytorin(InvesTrend Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) January 17, 2008 (FinancialWire) Congress has launched an investigation of advertising for the cholesterol-busting drug Vytorin following a study that suggested the pill may have no advantage over a generic cholesterol medicine, according to letters released Wednesday. Representatives John Dingell and Bart Stupak have addressed letters to Schering-Plough Corp. (NYSE: SGP) and Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK), which jointly sell Vytorin, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in which they raised questions about the ads for the medicine. The congressmen wrote that the House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations are probing the "withholding of clinical trial data that may significantly affect the medical management of hypercholesterolemia, as well as the use of misleading statement in direct-to-consumer advertisements for prescription medicines." The congressmen also asked the companies for records related to the ads as well materials related to Enhance study leader John Kastelein, a cardiologist in the Netherlands. They also seek information about the press release this Monday that disclosed the Enhance results, almost two years after the last patient completed the study. For up-to-the-minute news, features and links click on http://www.FinancialWire.net FinancialWire is an independent, proprietary news service of Investrend Information, a division of Investrend Communications, Inc. It is not a press release service and receives no compensation from any company for its news or opinions. Other divisions of Investrend, however, provide shareholder empowerment platforms such as forums, independent research and webcasting. For more information or to receive the FirstAlert daily summary of news, commentary, research reports, webcasts, events and conference calls, click on http://www.investrend.com/contact.asp For a free annual report on a company mentioned in the news, please click on http://investrend.ar.wilink.com/?level=279 To become an investor monitor of independent research for a company in which you are invested, go to the not-for-profit Shareholders Research Alliance, Inc. website by clicking on http://www.shareholdersresearch.com/ The FinancialWire NewsFeed is now available in multiple formats to your site or desktop, free. Click on: http://www.investrend.com/XmlFeeds?level=268 (Distributed for Investrend Communications, Inc. via M2 Communications Ltd (www.m2.com)) Copyright ? 2008 M2 Communications Ltd. |