l. The primary site of action of rosuvastatin is the liver, the target organ for cholesterol lowering.
Rosuvastatin increases the number of hepatic LDL receptors on the cell-surface, enhancing uptake and catabolism of LDL and it inhibits the hepatic synthesis of VLDL, thereby reducing the total number of VLDL and LDL particles.
Pharmacodynamic effects
Crestor reduces elevated LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides and increases HDL-cholesterol. It also lowers ApoB, non-HDL-C, VLDL-C, VLDL-TG and increases ApoA-I (see Table 3). Crestor also lowers the LDL-C/HDL-C, total C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C/HDL-C and the ApoB/ApoA-I ratios.
Table 3 Dose response in patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia (type IIa and IIb) (adjusted mean percent change from baseline)
Dose
N
LDL-C
Total-C
HDL-C
TG
nonHDL-C
ApoB
ApoA-I
Placebo
13
-7
-5
3
-3
-7
-3
0
5
17
-45
-33
13
-35
-44
-38
4
10
17
-52
-36
14
-10
-48
-42
4
20
17
-55
-40
8
-23
-51
-46
5
40
18
-63
-46
10
-28
-60
-54
0
A therapeutic effect is obtained within 1 week following treatment initiation and 90% of maximum response is achieved in 2 weeks. The maximum response is usually achieved by 4 weeks and is maintained after that.
Clinical efficacy and safety
Crestor is effective in adults with hypercholesterolaemia, with and without hypertriglyceridaemia, regardless of race, sex or age and in special populations such as diabetics or patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia.
From pooled phase III data, Crestor has been shown to be effective at treating the majority of patients with type IIa and IIb hypercholesterolaemia (mean baseline LDL-C about 4.8 mmol/L) to recognised European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS; 1998) guideline targets; about 80% of patients treated with 10 mg reached the EAS targets for LDL-C levels (<3 mmol/L).
In a large study, 435 patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia were given Crestor from 20 mg to 80 mg in a force-titration design. All doses showed a beneficial effect on lipid parameters and treatment to target goals. Following titration to a daily dose of 40 mg (12 weeks of treatment), LDL-C was reduced by 53%. Thirty-three percent (33%) of patients reached EAS guidelines for LDL-C levels (<3 mmol/L).
In a force-titration, open label trial, 42 patients (including 8 paediatric patients) with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia were eva luated for their response to Crestor 20 – 40 mg. In the overall population, the mean LDL-C reduction was 22%.
In clinical studies with a limited number of patients, Crestor has been shown to have additive efficacy in lowering triglycerides when used in combination with fenofibrate and in increasing HDL-C levels when used in combination with niacin (see section 4.4).
In a multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study (METEOR), 984 patients between 45 and 70 years of age and at low risk for coronary heart disease (defined as Framingham risk <10% over 10 years), with a mean LDL-C of 4.0 mmol/L (154.5 mg/dL), but with subclinical atherosclerosis (detected by Carotid Intima Media Thickness) were randomised to 40 mg rosuvastatin once daily or placebo for 2 years. Rosuvastatin significantly slowed the rate of progression of the maximum CIMT for the 12 carotid artery sites compared to placebo by -0.0145 mm/year [95% confidence interval -0.0196, -0.0093; p<0.0001]. The change from basel |
