Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the inclusion of new data in the product label that showed VYTORIN(R) (ezetimibe/simvastatin) was more effective than Crestor(R) (rosuvastatin) at lowering LDL "bad" cholesterol at all doses compared, ranging from the usual recommended starting doses (VYTORIN 10/20 mg, Crestor 10 mg) to the maximum approved doses (VYTORIN 10/80 mg, Crestor 40 mg).

This study, now included in the label for VYTORIN, of 2,959 patients with high cholesterol not at their LDL cholesterol goal showed that VYTORIN, along with diet when diet alone is not enough, lowered LDL "bad" cholesterol more than Crestor across all study dose comparisons, 52-61 percent for VYTORIN 10/20 mg to 10/80 mg, and 46-57 percent for Crestor 10 mg to 40 mg.