A new study released Sunday has again raised questions about the effectiveness of Merk and Co’s cholesterol drug Zetia and its sister drug Vytorin. In this most recent study, Zetia failed to shrink buildups in artery walls. It was compared to a newer drug, Niaspan, which did so significantly. Zetia users also suffered more heart attacks and other problems although the numbers of these events were too small to draw any conclusions.

Zetia “has been on the market for about seven years and we still haven’t proven that it improves clinical outcomes,” said Roger Blumenthal, preventive cardiology chief at Johns Hopkins University. The results will be “very influential” in getting more doctors to turn to Niaspan, he said.

Doctors say that the study results are not conclusive and that users should not stop taking there prescribed medication. In a report from Reuters, Dr. Paul Armstrong of the University of Alberta in Edmonton said he received an email from a patient early Monday morning asking if she should stop taking Zetia even though it was having the intended effect on her LDL levels.

Doctors say not to worry if the medicine is having its intended affects, but to be cautious if any side affects are experienced and don’t hesitate to contact your doctor for consultation.

The large American drug maker Abbott Laboratories is moving to close a deal today to purchase the prescription drug unit of the Belgian company Solvay for close to $6.6 billion in order to take sole possession of a shared cholesterol drug venture. The deal could possibly pay out an addition $440 million if the product meets certain sales goals from 2011 to 2013.

The deal will also give Abbott sole possession TriCor, which competes with Antara and Lofibra in the highly competitive cholesterol drug market. Last year TriCor had over $1.3 billion in sales.

In addition to TriCor, Abbott will also receive full ownership of Solvay’s drugs for hormone replacement, hypertension, as well as other neurological conditions.

According to the New York Times,

Pending health care legislation in Congress is not considered a deterrent for pharmaceutical acquisitions, because the drug makers are expected to do well in whatever emerges from Washington. The industry has a potentially winning political argument that its drugs prevent disease and save medical costs. And the industry stands to benefit from the addition of tens of millions of Americans to the ranks of the insured, under a health care overhaul.

Abbott’s patent on TriCor is set to expire soon, which means generic, less expensive versions of TriCor will be available. Abbott will then face the challenge of switching consumers over to the new drug Trilipix. This means that Abbott will throw all of it’s marketing behind Trilipix, and try and dupe consumers into buying a medication that is no more affective, yet much more expensive.