Group Seeks Ban of Anti-Cholesterol Drug

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Group Seeks Ban of Anti-Cholesterol Drug

 

 

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer

 

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WASHINGTON - A 39-year-old woman has died of a muscle-destroying condition

linked to the controversial new anti-cholesterol drug Crestor, a consumer

advocate said Thursday, citing 16 cases of serious side effects in urging a ban

of the drug.

 

Crestor is in the popular family of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.

 

 

It won Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) approval in August, after

a delay because of safety concerns: Seven cases of the potentially fatal,

muscle-destroying condition called rhabdomyolysis occurred during studies

involving patients on an 80-milligram dose. For that rare condition to pop up in

clinical trials was unusual - and particularly worrisome since another statin,

Baycol, had been pulled off the market in 2001, linked to dozens of

rhabdomyolysis-caused deaths worldwide.

 

 

In studies, Crestor also was linked to some cases of kidney abnormalities not

seen with other statins.

 

 

Still, FDA ultimately decided to approve Crestor, saying it appeared to be

slightly more potent than other statins and thus may be important for some

patients. To lower the risk of side effects, FDA recommended starting doses of 5

mg. to 10 mg, and said patients should never exceed 40 mg.

 

 

But records from the FDA and health agencies in Canada and Britain show

life-threatening side effects occur even at those lower doses, said Dr. Sidney

Wolfe of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, in a petition filed with

FDA Thursday seeking a ban.

 

 

Among the records:

 

 

_Seven patients with rhabdomyolysis, including the 39-year-old American who

died after using a 20-mg dose, and a second death from an unspecified country.

 

_Four patients with acute kidney failure, including a 79-year-old U.S. man who

died.

 

_Five additional patients with less severe kidney damage.

 

Also, among six patients, Crestor interacted dangerously with the blood-thinner

Coumadin, commonly used by heart-disease patients. One had a hemorrhage, Wolfe

said.

 

 

Crestor maker AstraZeneca wouldn't comment on the deaths or other serious side

effects except to say " the safety profile is totally comparable " to what

pre-marketing studies had predicted, said spokesman Gary Bruell.

 

 

" We're very pleased with the performance of the drug thus far, " he said, noting

that 1 million patients worldwide have tried Crestor, including 600,000 in the

United States. The company is about to begin major television advertising for

the drug.

 

 

But Wolfe contended that Crestor " has no unique advantage, but some unique

risks " over other statins. He told the FDA there is growing concern about the

drug, citing two major U.S. insurers who refuse to pay for it because of the

muscle risk and a recent recommendation against use by Sweden's drug advisers.

 

 

The FDA will evaluate the petition, said spokeswoman Laura Bradbard.