The findings, presented at the 55th annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology, mark the first time that a statin has demonstrated a regression in artery plaque build-up in a major clinical study.
The results also constitute a major victory for the AstraZeneca drug, which has previously lived in the shadow of Pfizer’s much more successful statin, Lipitor.
The results from the trial showed that plaque build-up in patients’ arteries was reduced by between 7% and 9%, with an associated 53% reduction in LDL-C, or ‘bad’ cholesterol, and a 15% increase in HDL-C, or ‘good’ cholesterol.
In the 507 patient study, patients who had evidence of coronary artery disease received a dose of Crestor four times higher than the usual dosage.
“The data from this study – demonstrating that Crestor regressed plaque in the arteries of four out of five patients – is an important new finding. We see this as underscoring the benefits of aggressively managing cholesterol levels, both LDL and HDL, to reduce the burden of atherosclerosis,” said Dr Howard Hutchinson, vice president of clinical research for AstraZeneca.