Like a pebble skimming the surface of a pond, the decision by Pfizer to end development of an injectable cholesterol treatment has a ripple effect on rivals. The company cited lower effectiveness over time and safety issues, such as higher levels of immunogenicity and reactions patients felt at injection sites.
But to what extent is its move a positive or negative for these other drug makers? By exiting the market, some Wall Street wags suggest that Pfizer may have provided a boost, albeit in varying degrees.
Right now, three companies — Amgen, as well as a partnership between Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals — already sell so-called PCSK9 inhibitors, which are the first major medicines for combating heart disease since statins were introduced nearly three decades ago. Other drug makers, including Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and The Medicines Company, are still developing their own treatments.
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