AstraZeneca Korea celebrates 20 years of cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor

AstraZeneca Korea commemorated the 20th anniversary of its cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor (ingredient: rosuvastatin calcium) through a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. 

The event, themed "New Universe Begins," highlighted the drug's robust LDL-C lowering effects and shared insights from extensive global and Korean clinical data.

Crestor, launched in Korea in 2004, is renowned for its potent LDL-C reduction among statins. It is the only statin approved for delaying the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Crestor holds indications for managing hypercholesterolemia, delaying atherosclerosis progression, and reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

During the event, Professors Ko Young-kuk of the Department of Cardiology at Severance Hospital and Yang Jeong-hoon of the Department of Cardiology at Samsung Medical Center spoke at the event.

Professor Ko praised Crestor as a "super statin," significantly contributing to the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, delaying atherosclerosis, and reducing cardiovascular events in high-risk patients, ultimately improving the quality of life for many.

"Despite its benefits, there is a gap between actual prescriptions and treatment guidelines," Professor Ko said. "Adhering to scientifically-based guidelines can enhance public health and benefit health insurance finances."

Professor Yang presented on Crestor's efficacy and recent findings based on 20 years of clinical data.

He highlighted the underachievement in LDL-C goal attainment among high-risk cardiovascular patients, noting that only about 20 percent meet their targets.

"The LDL-C goal achievement rate for high-risk cardiovascular disease patients taking statins is only about 20 percent," Yang said. "The 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend lowering the LDL-C target levels for high-risk groups compared to previous guidelines, advising a reduction of more than 50 percent from baseline."

Notably, the Korean dyslipidemia guidelines recommend prioritizing the maximum dose of statin monotherapy for drug treatment, he added.

Yang stressed that in this context, Crestor 10mg and 20mg can be considered preferential treatments, having demonstrated superior LDL-C reduction effects compared to the same doses of atorvastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin in the STELLAR study.

"Crestor is the only statin approved for delaying the progression of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemia patients, as confirmed by the ASTEROID study, providing significant therapeutic benefits," he said. "Also, Crestor has proven to be an effective treatment for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the ultimate goal of cholesterol treatment, through studies such as JUPITER."

It is also a cost-effective treatment option, offering lower prices compared to some generic products, thereby reducing the financial burden on patients, he added.

In the ARTMAP study conducted on Koreans, Crestor 10mg was found to be more effective than atorvastatin 20mg in inhibiting the progression of coronary artery disease.

"Also, the HOPE-3 study demonstrated a 25 percent reduction in cardiovascular event risk in moderate-risk groups compared to placebo, confirming its clinical efficacy for Asian patients, including Koreans," he said.