First Pill to Treat High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol at the Same Time

Pfizer Canada Inc. announced today that CADUET(TM)(amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium), the first treatment to address multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease, is now available in Canada.

CADUET combines the time-tested efficacy of NORVASC(TM) with the cardiovascular risk reduction of LIPITOR(R). CADUET may significantly prevent cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, in people who have high blood pressure plus three or more other cardiovascular risk factors.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, A SERIOUS THREAT TO CANADIANS

Cardiovascular disease continues to be a serious public health threat in Canada. In 2002, 74,626 Canadians died of cardiovascular disease. In fact, 32 per cent of all male deaths in Canada in 2002 were due to heart disease, disease of the blood vessels and strokes. For women, the toll was even higher - 34 per cent of all female deaths in 2002 were due to cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease costs the Canadian economy over $18 billion a year.

"CADUET represents an important therapeutic advance. It will allow physicians to help their patients with simpler dosing of medications. Patients can have a comprehensive approach while providing the safety and efficacy of two leading treatments in one single pill," said Dr. Sheldon Tobe, Associate Professor of Medicine, Nephrology, at the University of Toronto. "With CADUET, I can help prevent the devastating cardiovascular events from occurring in hypertensive patients with multiple risk factors."

MANAGING MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS EARLY

Canadians run a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease: 8 out of 10 individuals have at least one of the following risk factors - smoking, physical inactivity, being overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes - and 1 in 10 have three or more.

"Many doctors typically diagnose and treat individual cardiovascular risk factors in isolation," said Dr. Robert Petrella, President of Blood Pressure Canada. "Physicians should assess the whole patient rather than look at blood pressure alone. Prevention should focus on the whole person." Blood Pressure Canada is an inter-agency organization of professional, voluntary and government organizations, and health agencies interested in the prevention and control of high blood pressure in Canada.

A number of studies, including the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT), have shown that managing multiple risk factors may help to significantly reduce a patient's likelihood of suffering a cardiovascular event. The ASCOT study found that using a NORVASC-based blood pressure lowering treatment regimen in combination with LIPITOR, a statin, significantly reduced cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks, in patients with high blood pressure and additional cardiovascular risk factors.

According to the most current Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) Recommendations, patients with hypertension and three or more cardiovascular risk factors should be treated with a statin in addition to their blood pressure-lowering therapy.

"The ASCOT study underscores the importance and benefits of treating multiple risk factors. This approach may significantly help to reduce a patient's chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke," stated Dr. Tobe.

According to a Pfizer Canada/Ipsos-Reid survey, a majority (55 per cent) of Canadians find it very innovative for a company to combine two commonly used medicines into one treatment.

"As a Canadian leader in cardiovascular care, Pfizer is very proud to contribute to the management of CV disease", says Dr. Bernard Prigent, Vice- President, Medical Affairs, Pfizer Canada. "It is extremely important that Canadians manage their cardiovascular risk factors knowing that the population is growing older, and that the burden on our health care system will continue to increase."

ABOUT CADUET
CADUET is a prescription drug that combines two medicines, NORVASC (amlodipine besylate) and LIPITOR (atorvastatin calcium), which have been extensively studied in clinical trials.

NORVASC is a prescription drug indicated in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension. NORVASC is also indicated for the management of chronic stable angina (effort-associated angina) in patients who remain symptomatic despite adequate dose of beta blockers and/or organic nitrates or who cannot tolerate those agents.

LIPITOR is a drug prescribed to lower cholesterol and other fats in the blood (such as triglycerides) when response to diet and other lifestyle measures have been inadequate, in both adults and children (aged 10 to 17 years). LIPITOR is also indicated to prevent cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks. High levels of cholesterol and other fats can cause heart disease by clogging the blood vessels that feed blood and oxygen to the heart.

The two agents forming CADUET will still be available separately.