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| |  ACC: Crestor (Rosuvastatin) Lowers LDL Cholesterol, Reaches Target Lipid Levels ORLANDO, FL -- March 20, 2001-- Data show that Crestor (rosuvastatin - previously known as ZD4522), AstraZeneca’s new statin, is superior to the most widely prescribed statins, including atorvastatin, in terms of lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and getting more patients to their target lipid levels. Crestor also raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol significantly more than atorvastatin, according to data from Phase III clinical trial results presented today at the 50th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). "Heart disease and stroke remain the leading causes of hospitalization and death for both men and women in Canada", says Dr. Lawrence Leiter, Head, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. "Too many Canadians continue to have unacceptably high levels of cholesterol, despite the fact that we know hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aggressive LDL [low-density lipoprotein] reductions that can be achieved with drugs like Crestor should certainly help bring more patients’ cholesterol to optimal levels." Data from two head-to-head comparative trials involving over 1,000 patients show a significantly better reduction in LDL cholesterol (a major marker for the development of cardiovascular disease) with Crestor, compared to other widely prescribed statins.1,2 In one study, LDL cholesterol was reduced by 49 percent with Crestor 10 mg compared to 37 percent with simvastatin 20 mg and 28 percent with pravastatin 20 mg.2 In another study, Crestor 10 mg reduced LDL cholesterol by 43 percent compared to a 35 percent reduction with atorvastatin 10mg.1 In addition to LDL cholesterol lowering, Crestor 10 mg produced a significantly greater increase in HDL cholesterol compared with atorvastatin 10 mg (12 percent versus 8 percent, respectively) and a similar increase compared to simvastatin and pravastatin.1,2 Triglyceride levels were effectively reduced to the same extent by all the statins. All studies also show that Crestor is safe and well tolerated, similar to other statins.1,2,3
Greater numbers of patients reach target cholesterol levels within guidelines "A number of recent Canadian research studies have demonstrated that the majority of Canadian patients fail to achieve their LDL cholesterol goals," says Dr. Leiter. "In the studies reported today, a greater proportion of patients treated with rosuvastatin reached their LDL target relative to those treated with comparative statins." In the comparative trial versus pravastatin and simvastatin, 91 percent of medium-risk patients attained target LDL-cholesterol goals (as defined by the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel4) with Crestor 10 mg compared to 45 percent of similar patients achieving goal with pravastatin 20 mg, and 68 percent with simvastatin 20 mg. In the high-risk category, 67 percent of patients achieved target levels with Crestor 10 mg versus only seven percent with pravastatin 20 mg and 19 percent with simvastatin 20 mg.2 Similar findings were observed in the comparative trial with atorvastatin. Eighty-seven percent of medium-risk patients attained target LDL cholesterol goals (as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel4) with Crestor 10 mg compared with 72 percent of similar patients with atorvastatin 10 mg. In the high-risk category, 47 percent of patients achieved target levels with Crestor 10 mg versus only 19 percent with atorvastatin 10 mg.1 "These findings are crucial because the majority of patients are initiated and remain on a statin at the lowest available dose, which is why so many currently fail to reach their goal. It is therefore logical to give patients the most effective statin," states Dr. Michael Davidson, President of the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, and Principal Investigator for the study that compared Crestor to atorvastatin. Crestor also demonstrated superior efficacy in a trial involving patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, which is an inherited disorder characterized by very high levels of cholesterol and can result in premature coronary heart disease and death at a young age. The incidence of this condition is 1 in 500 in the general population, however, in Quebec the incidence is two to three times higher. 5 In the trial that involved over 600 patients treated for 18 weeks, Crestor 20 mg to 80 mg/day reduced LDL cholesterol by 58 percent versus 50 percent with atorvastatin.3 Treatment with Crestor also resulted in 24 percent of patients achieving NCEP target LDL cholesterol goals compared with three percent with atorvastatin. In addition, Crestor increased HDL cholesterol to a significantly greater level than did atorvastatin.3 "Crestor will provide a tremendous additional weapon in the global fight against coronary heart disease," observes Philip Barter, Professor of Cardiology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia.
References: 1 Davidson M et al. ZD4522 is superior to atorvastatin in decreasing low density lipoprotein cholesterol and increasing high density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with type IIa or Ilb hypercholesterolemia. 50th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, March 2001. 2 Paoletti R et al. ZD4522 is superior to pravastatin and simvastatin in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, enabling more hypercholesterolemic patients to achieve target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol guidelines. 50th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, March 2001. 3 Stein E et al. ZD4522 is superior to atorvastatin in the treatment of patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. 50th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, March 2001. 4 Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. The Expert Panel. Archives of Internal Med 1988;148:36-69. 5 Gagne C, Moorjani S, Brun D, Touissant M, Lupien PJ. Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Atherosclerosis 1979;34:13-24.
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