The lawmakers in congressional committee have asked the study called SEAS, which tried to find a link between cancer and cholesterol drug, Vytorin, to hand over the results to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee had been long working on the Vytorin, which is sold jointly by Merck & Co Inc and Schering-Plough Corp.

The drug which was approved in 2004, have reached the sales of $5 billion per year since then. The drug basically aims at reducing cholesterol, as it has a combination cholesterol-lowering Zetia (ezetimibe) and the statin Zocor (simvastin). Both these components play their own roles in reducing the cholesterol in the body. While Zocor reduces the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver, Zetia lessens the cholesterol amount in food that is absorbed in the intestines.

But a closely watched heart study, SEAS, had shown that individuals, who consumed the drug, were more prone to cancer, and slightly higher cancer deaths were seen in those taking Vytrorin. The study showed that 102 patients taking the drug developed cancer, as compared with 67 taking the placebo. Out of these 39, who were taking Vytorin died of cancer, compared to 23 taking placebo. However, the lad researcher, Dr. Terje Pedersen of Ulleval University Hospital in Oslo, Norway, said that it could have occurred as a result of chance.

Since the month of January, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has been investigating Vytorin and has also reviewed the marketing of the drug. Now, it wants the report to be turned over to it, so that they can look into the matter from their own perspective.