A brief review paper of the efficacy and safety of atorvastatin in early clinical trials.
Preclinical and clinical data on atorvastatin, a new 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, indicate that it has superior activity in treating a variety of dyslipidemic disorders characterized by elevations in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and/or triglycerides. Results for patients randomized in early efficacy and safety studies were combined in one database and analyzed. This analysis included a total of 231 atorvastatin-treated patients (131 with hypercholesterolemia (HC), 63 with combined hyperlipidemia (CH), 36 with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), and 1 with hyperchylomicronemia (Fredrickson Type V)). Patients were treated with a cholesterol-lowering diet (National Institutes of Health National Cholesterol Education Program Step 1 diet or a more rigorous diet) and either 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/day of atorvastatin or placebo. Efficacy was based on percent change from baseline in total cholesterol, total triglycerides, LDL-C, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein B (apo B), and non-HDL-C/HDL-C. Safety was assessed in all randomized patients. Atorvastatin seemed to preferentially lower those lipid and lipoprotein component(s) most elevated within each dyslipidemic state: LDL-C in patients with HC, triglycerides and VLDL-C in patients with HTG, or all 3 in patients with CH. Atorvastatin was well-tolerated with a safety profile similar to other drugs in its class.
Bakker-Arkema
R G
RG
Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research, Division of Warner-Lambert Company, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1047, USA.
Best
J
J
Fayyad
R
R
Heinonen
T M
TM
Marais
A D
AD
Nawrocki
J W
JW
Black
D M
DM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin