Bristol-Myers packs cholesterol drug with aspirin

Reuters, 06.25.03, 12:21 PM ET

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NEW YORK, June 25 (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (nyse: BMY - news - people) said on Wednesday it received U.S. regulatory clearance to market a package that includes its cholesterol medication Pravachol with aspirin to further reduce the risk of heart problems.

The Pravigard Pac will combine the two drugs in various daily dosage combinations, using both the cholesterol drug and the aspirin side by side.

Sales of Pravachol, the New York-based company's top-selling product, increased 13 percent to $613 million in the first quarter.

The price of the new package will be about the same as Pravachol alone, according to a Bristol-Myers spokeswoman. She said the company was also working on a combination that would merge Pravachol and aspirin in one pill -- not just in the same package.

Aspirin and other painkillers are believed to help fight blood clotting that can lead to heart attacks.

Shares of Bristol-Myers were up 22 cents, or 0.8 percent, at $27.87 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Copyright 2003, Reuters News Service