Content about Cholesterol

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug for treating cholesterol, the company said Friday.

Mylan announced the launch of fenofibrate tablets in the 48 mg and 145 mg strengths. The drug is used to reduce so-called "bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B while increasing "good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with primary hyperocholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug made by Merck for treating high cholesterol, the drug maker said.

Merck announced the approval of Liptruzet (ezetimibe and atorvastatin). The drug combines two preexisting cholesterol drugs: ezetimibe, which Merck markets under the brand name Zetia, and atorvastatin, which Pfizer markets under the name Lipitor. Both drugs are available as generics, but because Liptruzet is a novel combination of them, it required FDA approval as a new drug.

PITTSBURGH — GNC on Tuesday extended its Preventive Nutrition brand to help supplement a number of conditions, including eye health, liver health and digestive health.  

PHILADELPHIA — Wegmans will be offering the popular cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin free of charge through the end of the year, according to a report published by the Philadelphia Inquirer Wednesday. 

PEAPACK, N.J. — Greenstone has launched an authorized generic version of a drug used to treat cholesterol.

Greenstone, the generics arm of Pfizer, announced the launch of authorized generic atorvastatin calcium tablets in the 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg strengths, in bottle sizes ranging from 90 to 1,000. The drug is a version of the parent company's cholesterol drug Lipitor.

An authorized generic is a brand marketed under its generic name at a reduced price.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club will offer free heart health screenings at 563 of its stores on Saturday, the club retailer said.

The screenings, taking place at stores with pharmacies, will include tests valued at up to $100 for glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index and vision screenings.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for treating a rare cholesterol disorder, the agency said.

The FDA announced the approval of Kynamro (mipomersen sodium), made by Genzyme for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. Kynamro has been approved as an orphan drug, a designation the FDA gives to drugs that treat diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people.

PASADENA, Calif. — Automated phone and mail reminders increase the likelihood that patients with new prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs will pick them up from the pharmacy, according to a new study.

Kaiser Permanente Southern California enrolled 5,216 patients and found that those receiving an automated reminder were 1.6 times more likely to fill prescriptions for statin drugs than those who didn't receive reminders. The study was published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine Monday.

ST. LOUIS — People with diabetes often develop clogged arteries that cause heart disease, and new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that low vitamin D levels are to blame. In a study published Nov. 9 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the researchers reported that blood vessels are less like to clog in people with diabetes who get adequate vitamin D. But in patients with insufficient vitamin D, immune cells bind to blood vessels near the heart, then trap cholesterol to block those blood vessels.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Patients with high cholesterol who take statins may be healthier than those who do not, but their overall healthcare costs may be slightly higher than their counterparts, according to a new study.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In what could symbolize the so-called "patent cliff" that an executive from healthcare market research firm IMS Health spoke of at a recent trade show, a regional mass merchandise chain is taking what used to be the world's top-selling drug and giving it away for free.