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Links Between Cholesterol Drug Vytorin and Cancer
Reuters | WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Two U.S. congressmen asked Merck & Co (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Schering-Plough Corp (SGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for more information on a report the companies submitted to regulators assessing a possible link between cholesterol drug Vytorin and cancer, a letter released on Tuesday said.

Democratic Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak wrote they "were somewhat surprised to discover that the report contains little more than the information that was presented at the July 21, 2008, press conference" about the findings.

They asked the companies when the report was prepared, whether it represented all the information submitted to the Food and Drug Administration and why it was not made public.

The letter comes as researchers in Munich earlier on Tuesday released fuller data from company-sponsored clinical trials that showed more patients given the combination pill were diagnosed with cancer compared with those given a sugar pill. (For story, click on [ID:nL2495534])

Out of 1,873 patients, results showed 105 cancer cases among Vytorin patients compared with 70 taking a placebo, up from 93 and 65 reported previously in July.

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