But that fact that Pharmanex sells any Cholestin at all indicates there is a market for over-the-counter cholesterol medications.

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Cholestin is a supplement made from rice fermented in red yeast.

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In the studies, Cholestin had no side effects, except for a few cases of flatulence, according to Joseph Chang, vice president of clinical affairs at Pharmanex.

CNN: Studies: Chemical in some Chinese cuisine can lower cholesterol

Chang said that his company is visiting physicians around the United States, hoping to convince them to use Cholestin to treat their patients with high cholesterol.

CNN: Studies: Chemical in some Chinese cuisine can lower cholesterol

But in a court ruling last month, a federal judge in Salt Lake City, Utah, reversed the decision, and now Cholestin is being marketed in the United States.

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Because Pharmanex calls Cholestin a nutritional supplement, and a court case found that the FDA does not have the authority to regulate Pharmanex in the sale of nutritional supplements.

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The supplements have a higher concentration of red yeast rice than one would find in foods, according to Dr. James Rippe, one of the co-authors of the U.S. Cholestin study.

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However, another company called Pharmanex , a subsidiary of Nu Skin Enterprises nus (nyse: nus - news - people), peddles the same compound under the brand name Cholestin.

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