Vytorin Study Causes Media Stir, but Are the Concerns Justified?

Merck and Schering-Plough's announcement last week that Vytorin did not show any evidence of reducing fatty plaque buildup in veins and arteries stirred up a lot of complaints from industry pundits who felt that the public was misled by pharma.

There's only one hitch: The two pharma companies never stated that the drug, a cholesterol-lowering combination of Zocor and Zetia, had an effect on plaque.