Synthetic Approaches Towards Antihypercholesterolemic Drug Simvastatin

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most threatening problems being faced by twenty-first century humans. The core cause of these diseases is high cholesterol level. Simvastatin (1: Synvinolin) is a well-known cholesterol-lowering drug marketed under the trade name Zocor®, which significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases related to hypercholesterolemia and is effective in lowering the total plasma cholesterol, low-density and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. It also enhances the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. This review article aims to provide an overview of several chemical and biological methods utilized for the production of simvastatin in high yields and purity. Many robust and scalable methods have been described using lovastatin (2: Mevinolin) as a starting material, produced by the fungal strain of Aspergelius terreus. Enzymatic synthesis of simvastatin is also highlighted in this review. In addition, detailed experimental conditions, as well as the compatibility for industrial-scale preparations of simvastatin are also discussed.