The clinical impact of pitavastatin: comparative studies with other statins on LDL-C and HDL-C

Statins are currently the most effective drugs for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and represent the first choice for treating hypercholesterolemia. Pitavastatin was launched as a new statin on the Japanese market in 2003, followed by Korea, Thailand, China, the United States and Europe. This review summarizes and evaluates new insights into pitavastatin, from clinical trials since 2010.

This article reviews studies that compare pitavastatin with various other statins: i) Randomized Head-to-Head Comparison of Pitavastatin, Atorvastatin, and Rosuvastatin for Safety and Efficacy (Quantity and Quality of LDL): the PATROL Trial; ii) various Phase III clinical trials in Western countries; iii) The Comparison of Preventive Effect on Cardiovascular Events With Different Statins (CIRCLE) study; and iv) The Livalo Effectiveness and Safety (LIVES) Study Extension. Pitavastatin was found to have a similar LDL-C-lowering effect to other strong statins but also had a strong HDL-C-elevating effect and did not worsen glucose metabolism.

Pitavastatin has been launched in various countries around the world as a statin with potent LDL-C-lowering activity that is virtually unmetabolized by the cytochrome P450 family, with relatively few drug-drug interactions and no adverse effects on blood glucose. Pitavastatin thus appears well suited to long-term use.