Important Safety Information

• • The effect of ZETIA on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has not been determined.
• • ZETIA, administered alone or in combination with an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin), is indicated as adjunctive therapy to diet for the reduction of elevated TOTAL-C, LDL-C, Apo B, and non–HDL-C in patients with primary (heterozygous familial and nonfamilial) hyperlipidemia when diet alone is not enough.
• • Contraindications: hypersensitivity to any component of this medication.
• • Statin contraindications apply when used with a statin: active liver disease; unexplained persistent elevations in hepatic transaminase levels. Statins are contraindicated in pregnant and nursing women. Refer to the statin label for details.

• SELECTED CAUTIONARY INFORMATION
• • When using ZETIA with a statin, also follow the label recommendations for that specific statin.
• • When ZETIA was coadministered with a statin, consecutive elevations in hepatic transaminase levels (>3 × ULN) were slightly higher (1.3%) than those of statins alone (0.4%). Liver function tests should be performed when ZETIA is added to statin therapy and according to statin recommendations. Should an increase in ALT or AST >3 × ULN persist, consider withdrawal of ZETIA and/or the statin.
• • Patients should be advised to promptly report muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. Risk for skeletal muscle toxicity increases with higher statin doses, advanced age (>65), hypothyroidism, renal impairment, and depending on the statin used, concomitant use of other drugs. Discontinue drug if myopathy is diagnosed or suspected.
• • Because renal impairment is a risk factor for statin-associated myopathy, doses of simvastatin exceeding 20 mg should be used with caution and close monitoring when administered concomitantly with ZETIA in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m²).
• • ZETIA is not recommended in patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment.
• • The coadministration of ZETIA with fibrates other than fenofibrate is not recommended until use in patients is adequately studied.
• • Exercise caution when using ZETIA and cyclosporine concomitantly because exposure to both drugs is increased. Cyclosporine concentrations should be monitored in these patients.
• • ZETIA should be used in pregnant or nursing women only if the benefit outweighs the risk.
• • In clinical trials, regardless of causality assessment, the most frequent side effects for ZETIA coadministered with a statin vs statin alone included nasopharyngitis (3.7% vs 3.3%), myalgia (3.2% vs 2.7%), upper respiratory tract infection (2.9% vs 2.8%), arthralgia (2.6% vs 2.4%), and diarrhea (2.5% vs 2.2%); for ZETIA administered alone vs placebo: upper respiratory tract infection (4.3% vs 2.5%), diarrhea (4.1% vs 3.7%), arthralgia (3.0% vs 2.2%), sinusitis (2.8% vs 2.2%), pain in extremity (2.7% vs 2.5%), and fatigue (2.4% vs 1.5%).

Before prescribing ZETIA, please read the Prescribing Information. The Patient Information also is available.