NEW DRUGS DRUG NEWS NEW DRUGS Fenofibric Acid (TriLipix) Plus a Statin for Cholesterol

NEW DRUGS Fenofibric Acid (TriLipix) Plus a Statin for Cholesterol The FDA has approved Abbott’s feno fibric acid (TriLipix) delayed-release capsules along with diet to help lower triglyceride and low-density lipoproteincholesterol levels (LDL-C) and to raise high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. This is the first fibrate to be approved for use with a statin, although it has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attack. In studies of patients with mixed dyslipidemia, fenofibric acid plus a statin— rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor, Astra Zeneca), atorvastatin (Lipitor, Pfizer), or simvastatin (Zocor, Merck)—improved all three key lipids better than the corresponding therapies alone. TriLipix is discussed in this month’s Pharmaceutical Approval Update feature, page 86. Source: FDA, December 24, 2008