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news.AstraZeneca has obtained encouraging data from several studies demonstrating the efficacy of Crestor in patients with elevated cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
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The data were presented at the 75th European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress in Prague, the Czech Republic.
The first presentation included new data from four studies (MERCURY II, POLARIS, PULSAR and ANDROMEDA) involving more than 4,300 patients in total. These data provided further evidence of the efficacy of Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) in reducing elevated cholesterol levels in high-risk patients with either atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes or elevated cholesterol.
Results from MERCURY II demonstrated that switching to Crestor from atorvastatin (Pfizer’s Lipitor) or simvastatin (Merck & Co’s Zocor) at the doses studied provided greater reductions in LDL-C or “bad” cholesterol and brought more patients to their new Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III LDL-C goal than patients who stayed on atorvastatin or simvastatin.
In another presentation, AstraZeneca provided data from a new study on the effects of Crestor on carotid atherosclerosis, named ORION. Results showed that Crestor 5mg and 40mg reduced the proportion of lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) in the most diseased area of atherosclerotic plaques by 17.6% and 35.5%, respectively.