Novel statins: Pharmacological and clinical results

Rosuvastatin (ZD4522) and pitavastatin (NK-104) are novel HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors with a peculiar pharmacological profile. In particular, they show a high potency in decreasing LDL-C and their catabolism is not mediated by the cytochrome P-450 3A4, thus reducing the potential for drug-drug interaction and improving the management of blood cholesterol. As the magnitude of LDLC reduction is directly associated with the decrease in the incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality for CAD, statins with increased LDL-C lowering potency may ensure the achievement of target LDL-C levels and offer a more aggressive cholesterol control, further improving CAD morbidity and mortality.