onto another "pleiotrophic effect: of statins--lowering coenzyme Q10. Of the 15 studies published concerning coq10 levels and statin use in humans, 9 have unequivocally shown decreases in either muscle coq10, platelet CoQ10, or plasma coq10. In 1990, Merck received 2 patents for manufacturing a preparation containing a statin and coenzyme Q10:

Patent Number: 4,933,165 Patent Number: 4,929,437

Below is a verbatim sample from Patent Number 4,933,165.

"What is claimed is:

1. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutical carrier and an effective antihypercholesterolemic amount of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and an amount of Coenzyme Q.sub.10 effective to counteract HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor-associated skeletal muscle myopathy.

2. A composition of claim 1 in which the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from: lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin and sodium-3,5-dihydroxy-7-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(methylethyl)-1H-Indole-2yl]- hept-6-enoate.

3. A method of counteracting HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor-associated skeletal muscle myopathy in a subject in need of such treatment which comprises the adjunct administration of a therapeutically effective amount of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and an effective amount of Coenzyme Q.sub.10 to counteract said myopathy.

4. A method of claim 3 in which the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of: lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin and sodium-3,5-dihydroxy-7-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(methylethyl)-1H-Indole-2yl]- hept-6-enoate."

The company answer as to why the preparation was never manufactured, but patented, was that they wanted the exclusive patent in case somewhere in the future it was shown that depleting coq10 was not desirable and needed therapy.....(complicating the manufacturing of these combined suibstances is the fact that coenzyme q10 is manufactured almost exclusively by 4 companies in Japan these companies hold the patents on the manufacturing processes--interestingly enough one of these processes is based upon Tobacco leaves fermentation!)--they cannot make enough of the substance to be included in every statin taken by the millions of people who are on them.)

Ghirlanda G, et al. Evidence of plasma CoQ10-lowering effect by HMG-CoA
reductase inhibitors, J of Clin Pharm 1993;33(3):226-229.

The abstract concludes:“Our data show that the treatment with HMG-CoA
reductase inhibitors lowers both total cholesterol and CoQ10 plasma levels
in normal volunteers and in hypercholesterolemic patients. CoQ10 is
essential for the production of energy and also has antioxidative
properties. A diminution of CoQ10 availability may be the cause of membrane
alteration with consequent cellular damage."

CoEnzyme Q10 is a major component of the mitochondrial electron
transport system, intricately involved in the production of ATP. Loss of
this function of Coenzyme Q10 results in dramatic energy depletion for all
cells. Coenzyme Q10 also functions as a major antioxidant in the central
nervous system,“neutralizing" reactive oxygen species produced during ATP
production. Reactive oxygen species that are not neutralized may cause cell
death, the definition of oxidative stress.