- Dual restriction of generation and absorption required for dyslipidemia treatment

- Vytorin achieves 20% reduction of cardiovascular diseases in chronic renal patients



Daewoong Pharmaceutical (President Lee Jong Wook) successfully held the “Vytorin Together Symposium” at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Samsung-dong to mark the joint marketing of Vytorine (Ezetimibe/Simvastatin), a cholesterol lowering agent. Daewoong has made a strategic alliance with Korea MSD for the domestic marketing and sales of Vytorin. 

At a symposium (Chair: Professor Oh Byeong Hee, SNU) attended by more than 200 internists, Professor Jo Young Min made a presentation on ‘A new approach on the treatment of dyslipidemia atherosclerosis patients,’ after which Professor Han Ki Hoon made a presentation on “The role of Ezemitibe in the treatment of dyslipidemia.” 

In his presentation, Professor Jo Young Min stressed that “cholesterol control is very important in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and we should pay attention to LDL-C as well. Cholesterol has a double mechanism as it is created in the liver, and absorbed in the small intestine. For this reason, it is desirable nor only to reduce LDL-C but also to restrain the creation and absorption of cholesterol.” 

Statin medicine is widely used to restrain cholesterol in the liver, but recently, a treatment approach of double restriction, in which Ezetimibe is used to restrict cholesterol absorption in the small intestine, has been attracting wide attention.

Professor Han Ki Hoon said “when cholesterol is restrained in the liver, it has high absorption in the small intestine, and vice versa. Therefore, the combined use of statin and ezetimibe is ideal. In particular, 5 years long-term follow-up (SHARP research) showed that Vytorin reduced cardiovascular diseases of chronic renal diseases in patients by 15~20%.”

Ezetimibe is most effective when taken with food. As its half-life is 22 hours, it can be taken at any time of the day. Because it is evacuated in excrement, it can be administered regardless of renal function.

Vytorin consists of two medicines, which are statin to restrain the generation of cholesterol in liver, and ezetimibe to restrain absorption of alimentary and biliary cholesterol. This combination enables the effective control of cholesterol.