The problem is that simvastatin is not as potent a drug as either atorvastatin or Crestor.
FORBES: Merck's Cholesterol Pill Win Is Already Drawing Fire
Nexium, Seroquel (for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), and Crestor (for high cholesterol) have all been successful.
AstraZeneca settled a lawsuit that claimed Actavis violated the patent on its best-selling Crestor cholesterol pill.
FORBES: AstraZeneca & A Pay-To-Delay Deal The FTC Would Not Like
AstraZeneca used both techniques to tout its cholesterol drug Crestor as a potent artery unclogger.
Pfizer's Lipitor has easily held its ground against Crestor, which claims to be more potent.
In the Crestor study, myopathy frequency was the same whether patients got Crestor or a placebo.
For the medical community, the Crestor news is a big deal for two reasons.
If that's true, many patients would be better off on Lipitor or Crestor than on Vytorin.
Crestor, from AstraZeneca (nyse: AZN - news - people ) is another option.
Zetia itself has become a blockbuster, and some doctors are prescribing it with Lipitor and Crestor.
He notes, however, that there was some "appropriate caution" regarding use of Crestor's top dose.
He also said he is preparing a publication on Crestor's safety for a medical journal.
Crestor slashed their LDL levels to 54 and also reduced their CRP levels by 37%.
Nevertheless, these results make it harder to argue that Crestor is worth the cost.
FORBES: AstraZeneca Study is Good News for the Public, Bad News for AstraZeneca
The company's cholesterol drug, Crestor, has been dogged by safety controversies--although Astra says they are unfounded.
's Crestor has finally won a blow against Pfizer 's rival Lipitor, the world's best-selling pill.
Overall death in the Crestor group was 20 percent less than the placebo group.
CNN: Study: Cholesterol drugs could help those with healthy levels
AstraZeneca's blockbuster cholesterol pill Crestor was originally maligned over kidney worries but has since been cleared.
The problem is, simvastatin is known to be a weaker statin than atorvastatin or rosuvastatin (generic Crestor).
FORBES: Cholesterol Drug Heart Study Continues, But Will Merck's Vytorin Really IMPROVE-IT?
Zetia usage has increased since, because doctors still use it when Lipitor or Crestor is not enough.
FORBES: Merck To Pay $688 Million To Shareholders For Delaying Vytorin Results
The updated Crestor label recommends that Asians be started on the lowest dose, which is 5 milligrams.
The labeling for AstraZeneca's cholesterol drug Crestor suggests starting the drug at a lower dose in Asians.
Crestor did better than all of them, but the difference was not statistically significant compared with Lipitor.
Graham said that Crestor might cause kidney problems, where rivals such as Lipitor and Zocor do not.
In the fall, rogue FDA researcher David Graham pointed to Crestor as a drug with potential safety problems.
Crestor also has a bulwark against the cheaper generic Zocor, thanks to a 12, 000-patient Merck-funded study presented today.
The Zetia trial started exactly three years after the Crestor trial that was just halted, according to ClinicalTrials.gov.
In Jupiter, there was also an increase in the number of people who developed diabetes while on Crestor.
After Crestor was approved in 2003, watchdog group Public Citizen argued it should be yanked from the market.
The results could help AstraZeneca (nyse: AZN - news - people ) ignite Crestor sales.
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