New Data Demonstrates the Efficacy of CRESTOR(R) Compared to Other Leading Statins in Treating High-Risk Patient Populations For
April 24 2005 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
New Data Demonstrates the Efficacy of CRESTOR(R) Compared to Other
Leading Statins in Treating High-Risk Patient Populations For
Elevated Cholesterol PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 24
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New data presented today from four
studies (MERCURY II, POLARIS, PULSAR, ANDROMEDA) involving more
than 4,300 patients in total, provided further evidence of the
efficacy of CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) in reducing elevated
cholesterol levels in high-risk patients, as defined by initial and
updated Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III LDL-C guidelines, with
either atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, type II diabetes or
elevated cholesterol. The data were presented at the 75th European
Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress in Prague, Czech Republic.
Results from MERCURY II (Measuring Effective Reductions in
Cholesterol Using Rosuvastatin therapY), which involved 1,993 high-
and very high-risk (coronary heart disease or risk equivalent)
patients, demonstrated that switching to CRESTOR from atorvastatin
or simvastatin at the doses studied provided greater reductions in
LDL-C or "bad" cholesterol and brought more patients to their new
ATP III LDL-C goal than patients who stayed on atorvastatin or
simvastatin. "In the U.S., we know that a high percentage of
patients are still not getting to their cholesterol goal and the
updated ATP III guidelines suggest the option of even lower
treatment goals for LDL-C," said Christie Ballantyne, MD, Professor
of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX and lead
investigator for MERCURY II. "These data add to the body of
evidence that continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of CRESTOR
in helping, in this case, high- and very high-risk patients achieve
their cholesterol goals." MERCURY II is a 16-week, randomized,
open-label study comparing efficacy of statin treatments following
a switch to either CRESTOR 10 or 20 mg, after eight weeks of
treatment, from atorvastatin 10 or 20 mg and simvastatin 20 or 40
mg in high- and very high-risk subjects with primary
hypercholesterolemia. These data show that 43 percent of the
patients who were switched to CRESTOR 10 mg from atorvastatin 10mg
achieved LDL-C goals (