title: Efficacy and safety of cerivastatin, 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg, in patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia: a multinational, randomised, double-blind study. Cerivastatin Study Group.
abstract: Elevated serum cholesterol level is a key risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cerivastatin is a highly effective lipid-lowering agent currently licensed at doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mg. This was a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study comparing the efficacy and safety of cerivastatin 0.4 mg/day with that of cerivastatin 0.2 mg/day in patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia. There was a six-week placebo run-in phase followed by a 24-week active treatment phase. A total of 494 patients were randomised to receive cerivastatin 0.4 mg (n = 332) or 0.2 mg (n = 162). Per-protocol (PP) analysis revealed that mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level decreased by 38.4 +/- 0.7% from baseline in the 0.4 mg group, compared with a decrease of 31.5 +/- 0.9% in the 0.2 mg group (p < 0.0001). There was a significant gender difference in the 0.4 mg group: LDL-C decreased by 44.4 +/- 8.9% in women, compared with a decrease of 37.0 +/- 0.9% in men (p < 0.046). In the PP group as a whole, total cholesterol decreased by 26.0 +/- 0.5% from baseline in the 0.4 mg group, compared with a decrease of 21.6 +/- 0.7% in the 0.2 mg group (p < 0.0001). Both doses were well tolerated; only eight (2.4%) patients in the 0.4 mg group and five (3.1%) patients in the 0.2 mg group withdrew owing to adverse events. Cerivastatin 0.2 mg/day and 0.4 mg/day was found to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels in a dose-dependent manner, with both doses exhibiting a good safety profile.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department A, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway. leiv.ose@rh.uio.no
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ose
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Luurila
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lithell
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Widgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000187:drug effects; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; C086276:cerivastatin