AstraZeneca, Abbott target cholesterol

AstraZeneca and Abbott Laboratories will jointly develop and commercialize a fixed-dose combination product that will target three blood lipids: low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein (HDL), so-called good cholesterol; and triglycerides. The single-pill product will contain AstraZeneca's Crestor statin drug and either Abbott's ABT-335, a fenofibrate drug in Phase III trials for its ability to raise HDL, or TriCor, an existing fibrate drug that Abbott markets for Solvay in the U.S. Pfizer is developing its own combination of its Lipitor statin with the HDL-raising compound torcetrapib.