Clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin, which was approved by the FDA in 2003 and has been available in Europe since 2002, is the newest and most efficacious of the currently available 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins). More than 8 million patients have now been treated with rosuvastatin for up to 3 years, and initial concerns about the tolerability of this agent, prompted by the withdrawal of cerivastatin, have been answered. In fact, the lack of interactions of rosuvastatin with drugs metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 may provide a safety advantage not shared by other potent statins. Finally, rosuvastatin enables the majority of patients to achieve their cholesterol goals at initial doses, without the need for further dose titration and associated costs, and studies in both the USA and the UK have established its cost-effectiveness.