• The New York Times, Tuesday, January 15, 2008 11:30 AM

Merck and Schering-Plough--which make the drug, Zetia, and a pill that contains it, Vytorin--say that Zetia failed to benefit patients in a two-year trial that ended in April 2006. The companies, which repeatedly missed their own deadlines for reporting the result, blamed the complexity of the data for the delay.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is investigating the delay, says that the negative results add to suspicion that the companies deliberately sat on the findings. Millions of patients have continued taking Zetia and Vytorin. Dr. Steven E. Nissen, chairman of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, calls the results "shocking."

Merck and Schering share profits from their joint marketing of Zetia and Vytorin. The drugs are important contributors to both companies' profits, but more so to Schering, which is smaller and less profitable than Merck. Analysts estimate that about 70% of Schering's earnings depend on Zetia and Vytorin .

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