AstraZeneca's Crestor fails in study

Source: Healthcare Digital

Date :06/11/2007 06:25:26

AstraZeneca suffered a blow after the release of a study that showed that cholesterol drug Crestor didn't reduce deaths in older people with heart failure

Negative result

The study by CORONA (COntrolled ROsuvastatin MultiNAtional Study in Heart Failure), a long-term, randomised, placebo-controlled study of more than 5,000 patients, showed Crestor, Astrazeneca’s blockbuster statin, ‘could not reverse or prevent the deterioration of a failing heart.’

A successful result could have added $1 billion to U.S. revenues alone, according to analysts. But it was thought that the drugs benefits would be difficult to prove.

AstraZeneca were keen to remain positive, however:

“The CORONA study was a novel and challenging study and demonstrates our commitment to advancing medical knowledge by investigating the effects of CRESTOR in challenging patient populations with unmet medical need.

“The CORONA study included patients with advanced heart failure on optimal treatment who were not candidates for statin therapy in the view of the investigators and which sought to answer the question of whether or not statins provide additional benefit or might even be harmful in this population.

Knowledge

“As a result of this study, AstraZeneca has provided new scientific information to help answer these important questions,” said Elisabeth Bjork, Global Medical Science Director for CRESTOR.

Crestor sold $2 billion worldwide in the first nine months of 2007.

November 6, 2007