AstraZeneca's Crestor study shows significant cholesterol reduction

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., March 24 - AstraZeneca plc released data Friday showing that Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) at 10 mg and 20 mg reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by 45.2% and 50.0%, compared with 35.9% and 42.4% with atorvastatin at milligram-equivalent doses in Hispanic patients with elevated cholesterol.

Starship (study assessing rosuvastatin in Hispanic population) is the first large-scale, prospective trial designed to compare the effects of statins in Hispanic patients, who have generally been underrepresented in clinical trials, according to a company news release.

After a six-week dietary lead-in, 696 medium- and high-risk patients with coronary heart disease histories were randomized to one of four open-label treatments for six weeks: Crestor 10 mg or 20 mg or atorvastatin 10 mg or 20 mg.

The overall safety experience was similar for all treatments in the study, the release said.

Additional data demonstrated the following:

• Total cholesterol reduction by 32.4% and 34.9% with Crestor 10 mg and 20 mg compared with 25.6% and 30.9% for atorvastatin 10 mg and 20 mg;

• Reduction of non-HDL-C (the difference between total cholesterol and "good" cholesterol) by 40.9% and 44.6% with Crestor 10 mg and 20 mg compared with 32.6% and 39.2% for atorvastatin at the same dosages;

• Increase of HDL (good cholesterol) by 5.5% and 5.7% with Crestor at 10 mg and 20 mg compared with 3.5% and 4.3% with atorvastatin at milligram-equivalent doses.

AstraZeneca is an international health care business with headquarters in London.

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