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Ezetimibe

Abstract

Ezetimibe (Zetia), the first in a new class of agents that inhibit cholesterol absorption in the intestine, was approved by the FDA in October 2002 for the reduction of cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolaemia. What impact is it likely to have on the multi-billion-dollar market for cholesterol-lowering drugs?

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Figure 1: Structure of ezetimibe.
Figure 2: Global sales of anti-hyperlipidaemic drugs in US $ billion.
Figure 3: Patent expirations of statins.

References

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Correspondence to John Earl.

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Peter Kirkpatrick is a Senior Editor of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. John Earl is a Director

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Earl, J., Kirkpatrick, P. Ezetimibe. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2, 97–98 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1015

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