A Study of SCH 58235 (Ezetimibe) When Added to Ongoing Therapy With a Statin in Participants With Primary Hypercholesterolemia, Known Coronary Heart Disease, or Multiple Cardiovascular Risk Factors (P02173)

A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Lipid-Altering Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of SCH 58235 When Added to Ongoing Therapy With an HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) in Patients With Primary Hypercholesterolemia, Known Coronary Heart Disease, or Multiple Cardiovascular Risk Factors

This is a study to evaluate the lipid-altering efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ezetimibe when added to ongoing therapy with an 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (statin) in participants with primary hypercholesterolemia, multiple cardiovascular risk factors, or known coronary heart disease (CHD) or CHD-equivalent disease. The statin and dose in use by the participant at screening will be maintained at the same dose for the 8-week treatment phase of the study. Following the treatment, there will be a 6-week cholesterol reversibility phase to determine the rebound effect on cholesterol after ezetimibe is discontinued, but the participant is still on their statin therapy. The primary hypothesis is that the addition of ezetimibe 10 mg/day to ongoing statin monotherapy will result in a further reduction in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) compared with placebo.

The protocol was amended to include an extension for participants who complete the base study. The extension will evaluate the safety and tolerability of concomitant treatment of simvastatin with ezetimibe10 mg/day over a 1-year period. All participants in the extension will be converted from current statin to an equivalent dose of simvastatin for 6 weeks. Participants then will be randomly assigned to receive simvastatin coadministered with either with Ezetimibe 10 mg daily or matching placebo for the reminder of study.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Primary Hypercholesterolemia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Ezetimibe; Drug: Statin; Drug: Placebo; Drug: Simivastatin

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 769
• Phase: Phase 3

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria

• Currently taking an approved and stable (for at least 6 weeks prior to screening) daily dose of a statin and by history had taken >80% of daily doses for the preceding 6 weeks
• Have a negative pregnancy test
• Agree to practice an effective barrier method of birth control during the study if of childbearing potential
• Females receiving hormonal therapy, including hormone replacement, any estrogen antagonist/agonist, or oral contraceptives, maintain a stable dose and regimen for at least 8 weeks and be willing to continue the same regimen for the duration of the study
• Must verify previous instruction on an National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step 1 diet or similar diet and must maintain a stable diet regimen for the duration of the study
• Weight stability ( ± 2 kg) for at least 6 weeks prior to entry into the study Exclusion Criteria
• History of mental instability, drug/alcohol abuse within the past 5 years, or major psychiatric illness not adequately controlled and stable on pharmacotherapy
• Previously enrolled to any study evaluating ezetimibe
• Pregnant or lactating
• Consumes greater than 14 alcoholic drinks/week
• Taking a lipid-altering agent (other than statins) in previous 6 weeks
• Taking Oral corticosteroids, unless the corticosteroids were for replacement therapy to treat pituitary/adrenal disease and were treated with a stable regimen for at least the previous 6 weeks
• Treatment with psyllium, other fiber-based laxatives, and other over-the-counter (OTC) therapies that affect serum lipids, unless treated with a stable regimen for at least 6 weeks
• Taking orlistat
• Taking cyclosporine
• Use of any investigational drugs within 30 days
• Treatment with agents with known interactions with statins including antifungal azoles (itraconazole and ketoconazole), macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin and clarithromycin) and nefazodone or with other potent agents that could significantly interfere with cytochrome P-450 system
• Congestive heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV
• Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias
• Myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass surgery or angioplasty within 3 months
• Unstable or severe peripheral artery disease within 3 months
• Unstable angina pectoris
• Disorders of the hematologic, digestive or central nervous systems including cerebrovascular disease and degenerative disease that would limit study evaluation or participation
• Poorly controlled or newly diagnosed (within 3 months) diabetes mellitus, or change in antidiabetic pharmacotherapy (i.e., change in dosage [with the exception of ± 10 units of insulin] or addition of new medication) within 3 months
• Uncontrolled endocrine or metabolic disease known to influence serum lipids or lipoproteins (i.e., secondary causes of hyperlipidemia). Clinically euthyroid participants on replacement doses of thyroid hormone are eligible for enrollment if thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is within the normal range
• Impaired renal function, nephrotic syndrome, or other renal disease
• Active or chronic hepatobiliary or hepatic disease
• Positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Cancer within the past 5 years (except for basal cell carcinoma)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Ezetimibe: Base Study; 10-mg tablet, oral taken once daily concomitantly with the participant' s current statin therapy for 8 weeks.	Drug: Ezetimibe; 10 mg tablet, oral, once daily; Drug: Statin; Statin administered orally once daily at dose determined by treatment prior to enrollment by personal physician
Placebo Comparator: Placebo: Base Study; Placebo for ezetimibe 10-mg tablet, oral taken once daily concomitantly with the participant' s current statin therapy for 8 weeks.	Drug: Statin; Statin administered orally once daily at dose determined by treatment prior to enrollment by personal physician; Drug: Placebo; one tablet, oral, once daily
Experimental: Ezetimibe: Extension; 10-mg tablet, oral taken once daily concomitantly with simvastatin for 48 weeks.	Drug: Ezetimibe; 10 mg tablet, oral, once daily; Drug: Simivastatin; Once daily administration at dose to be determined
Placebo Comparator: Placebo: Extension; Placebo for ezetimibe tablet, oral taken once daily concomitantly with simvastatin for 48 weeks.	Drug: Placebo; one tablet, oral, once daily; Drug: Simivastatin; Once daily administration at dose to be determined

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Percentage Change from Baseline in LDL-C: Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Participants with Consecutive Elevations ≥3 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) in Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) or Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT): Extension	up to 48 weeks (Extension)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Percentage of Participants Achieving LDL-C National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Program II (ATP II) Target Levels: Base Study	Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Total Cholesterol (TC) : Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Triglycerides (TG): Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in High-density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) : Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Non-HDL-C: Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Apolipoprotein B (apoB) : Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) : Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Apolipoprotein A-II (Apo A-II) : Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in LDL-C:HDL-C Ratio: Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in Total-C:HDL-C Ratio: Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Change from Baseline in C-reactive Protein (CRP): Base Study	Baseline and Week 8 of Base Study
Percentage Change from Baseline in LDL-C: Extension	Baseline (Week 6) and Week 18 of Extension

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Organon and Co
• Investigators: Study Director: Medical Director, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Masana L, Mata P, Gagne C, Sirah W, Cho M, Johnson-Levonas AO, Meehan A, Troxell JK, Gumbiner B; Ezetimibe Study Group. Long-term safety and, tolerability profiles and lipid-modifying efficacy of ezetimibe coadministered with ongoing simvastatin treatment: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 48-week extension study. Clin Ther. 2005 Feb;27(2):174-84. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2005.02.011.
• Gagne C, Bays HE, Weiss SR, Mata P, Quinto K, Melino M, Cho M, Musliner TA, Gumbiner B; Ezetimibe Study Group. Efficacy and safety of ezetimibe added to ongoing statin therapy for treatment of patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Am J Cardiol. 2002 Nov 15;90(10):1084-91. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(02)02774-1.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 31, 2001
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 27, 2001
• Study Completion (Actual): July 27, 2001

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): March 20, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): May 10, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 8, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Arteriosclerosis; Arterial Occlusive Diseases; Lipid Metabolism Disorders; Hyperlipidemias; Dyslipidemias; Heart Diseases; Coronary Artery Disease; Myocardial Ischemia; Coronary Disease; Hypercholesterolemia; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Antimetabolites; Anticholesteremic Agents; Hypolipidemic Agents; Lipid Regulating Agents; Ezetimibe
• Other Study ID Numbers: P02173; MK-0653-001 (Other Identifier: Merck); SCH 58235 P02173 (Other Identifier: Schering-Plough)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: http://engagezone.msd.com/doc/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No