Lawrence A. Leiter, MD, FRCPC, FACP Pierre Martineau, MSc, PharmD, BCPS Eduardo de Teresa, MD, FESC Csaba Farsang, MD, DSc Allan Gaw, MD, PhD, MRCPath, FFPM GianFranco Gensini, MD Anatoly Langer, MD On behalf of the ACTFAST 1 & 2 investigators. leiterl@smh.toronto.on.ca FROM: St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (LAL); Medical Division, Pfizer Canada, Kirkland, Quebec, Canada (PM); University of Malaga, V. de la Victoria Hospital, Malaga, Spain (EdT); St. Imre Teaching Hospital, Budapest, Hungary (CF); University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK (AG); University of Florence, Careggi Hospital, Firenze, Italy (GG); and St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Canadian Heart Research Centre, Toronto (AL).
Dr. Leiter reports that he receives grants/research support from AstraZeneca International, Merck & Co., Inc., Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, and Pfizer, Inc. Dr. Leiter also reports that he serves as a consultant to these companies and serves on their speakers' bureaus. Dr. Martineau reports that he is an employee of Pfizer Canada. Dr. de Teresa reports no potential conflict of interest relevant to this article. Dr. Farsang reports that he serves as a consultant to Sanofi-aventis, Pfizer, Inc., Servier, Egis Rt., and Richter, G.Rt. He also reports that he is on the speakers' bureau of Sanofi-aventis. Dr. Gaw reports that he serves as a consultant to Merck Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca International, Schering-Plough, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. He also reports that he serves on the speakers' bureaus for these companies. Dr. Gensini reports that he serves as a consultant to Pfizer, Inc. Dr. Langer reports that he receives grants/research support from AstraZeneca International, Biovail Corporation, DuPont, Eli Lilly and Company, Fournier, GlaxoSmithKline, Guidant, Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Oryx Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Inc., Roche, Sanofi-aventis, and Servier. He also reports that he serves as a consultant to Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Pfizer, Inc., Roche, and Sanofi-aventis.
Limitations of our study include the fact that the trial was not blinded, the size of the dosing groups was unequal, and there was no control group. However, it is unlikely that reduction of LDL-C was due to chance. Also, this study was not designed to investigate the effect of lowering LDL-C on the incidence of cardiovascular events.
Correspondence Lawrence A. Leiter, MD, University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital, 61 Queen St. E.,#6121Q, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M5C 2T2; leiterl@smh.toronto.on.ca
