Panel rejects Merck over-the-counter statin bid

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel urged the government on Thursday to reject Merck & Co Inc's (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) latest bid to sell a cholesterol-lowering drug without a prescription.
The committee voted 10-2, with one abstention, against recommending over-the-counter sales of Merck's cholesterol fighter Mevacor. Most of the experts said a company study failed to show patients could decide for themselves if they were appropriate candidates for the medicine.
Currently all cholesterol-lowering drugs require a doctor's prescription before being dispensed in the United States.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/healt...22282720071214 accessed today.