ParfumGigi@aol.com

09.04.2005, 04:53 PM

Pfizer Inc.'s cardiovascular treatment Lipitor, the world's best-selling drug, is no more effective than similar drugs and in some cases has worse side effects, according to a study by an independent German institute.

The results come from a survey of previous studies worldwide, rather than new clinical tests on patients. It was released Saturday by Institut fuer Qualitaet und Wirtschaftslichkeit im Gesundheitswesen.

IQWiG is an independent institution that studies value-for-money in health care, set up at the instigation of the German government.

The study follows a controversy in Germany about the pricing of Lipitor and other statin drugs, which aim to reduce cholesterol levels.

According to IQWiG, life-prolonging results for patients suffering from chronic coronary heart disease was seen with Merck & Co.'s Zocor and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Pravastin - but not with Lipitor.

Jonathan Jones at Pfizer U.K.'s Cardio-Vascular Group said he couldn't comment directly without studying IQWiG's analysis.

However he noted that the side effects of the rival medicines differed, and that any study could yield different answers depending on the weight given to them.

Representatives based at Pfizer's New York headquarters did not return calls Sunday.

In acute diseases, there weren't enough data to prove that any of the group - Lipitor, Zocor or Pravastin - was better than the other.

With diabetes mellitus, only Merck's Zocor was shown to prolong life.

After Germany's health insurers introduced a fixed price for Lipitor by the end of 2004, Pfizer asked its patients to pay the difference between the price of Lipitor and the sum that would be paid by health insurers.

Other pharmaceutical companies lowered the price for drugs after the move of the health insurers.

Pfizer then started an advertisement campaign in newspapers, stating that Lipitor is better than other statins, notably that is has fewer side effects at high dosages.

As a result, IQWiG's study on statins focused on Lipitor. IQWiG the study contested Pfizer's claim that Lipitor is better than other statins.

It noted that some studies on Lipitor had to be stopped because it had more side effects compared with Zocor.

According to consulting firm IMS Health, Lipitor $12 billion worth of Lipitor last year. Zocor, the world's second-best-selling drug, posted sales of $5.9 billion.