NEWS - Public Citizen renews call for Crestor to be removed from market

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Oct. 29, 2004

Rate of Kidney Damage in Crestor Patients Is 75 Times Higher Than in

Patients Taking Other Cholesterol Drugs

Public Citizen Renews Call for Crestor to Be Removed From Market

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The rate of reports of kidney failure or damage among

patients taking the cholesterol drug Crestor is 75 times higher than in

all patients taking all other statins, according to a Public Citizen

analysis of government data. Public Citizen sent the information today

to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and renewed its call for the

drug to be taken off the market.

" It becomes clearer by the day that this drug is uniquely toxic but

offers no unique benefit, and must be removed from the market, " wrote

Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, to

FDA Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford.

According to the analysis, the rate of reports to the FDA of acute renal

failure or renal insufficiency per million prescriptions in patients

using rosuvastatin (Crestor) - 29 U.S. reports in less than one year

since the drug was first marketed in this country - is approximately 75

times higher than the rate for all other statin drugs combined.

The FDA had evidence before approving the cholesterol drug Crestor that

it caused an increased incidence of rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle

deterioration), yet the agency approved it anyway, erroneously believing

that this toxicity was limited to an 80 milligram dose that was not

ultimately approved. The drug went on the market in September 2003. In

March 2004, Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to remove the drug from

the market because it had been linked to muscle damage and kidney

failure.

There have been 29 reported U.S. cases of acute renal failure or renal

insufficiency out of 4.5 million Crestor prescriptions filled between

September 2003 and the end of August 2004. For all other statins

(including Lipitor, Zocor, Lescol, Pravachol and Mevacor), there have

been 27 cases of acute renal failure or renal insufficiency reported

from Jan. 1, 2001, through Sept. 30, 2003, out of 316 million

prescriptions filled. This is a rate of .085 cases reported per million

prescriptions filled.

Thus, the rate of reports of acute renal failure or renal insufficiency

for Crestor is 6.4/.085, or 75 times higher than that of all of the

other statins. In addition, as of August 26, 2004, there had been 65

reports of rhabdomyolysis among U.S. patients taking Crestor, a rate of

reports approaching that of Baycol, a cholesterol drug that was taken

off the market because of rhabdomyolysis. To read Wolfe's letter, go to

http://www.worstpills.org.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1819

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org