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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Cerivastatin

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Cerivastatin (brand names: Baycol, Lipobay) is a synthetic member of the class of statins used to lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. It was marketed by the pharmaceutical company Bayer A.G. in the late 1990s, competing with Pfizer‘s highly successful atorvastatin (Lipitor). Cerivastatin was voluntarily withdrawn from the market worldwide in 2001, due to reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis.

During postmarketing surveillance, 52 deaths were reported in patients using cerivastatin, mainly from rhabdomyolysis and its resultant renal failure.[1] Risks were higher in patients using fibrates, mainly gemfibrozil (Lopid), and in patients using the highest (0.8 mg/day) dose of cerivastatin. Bayer A.G. added a contraindication for the concomitant use of cerivastatin and gemfibrozil to the package 18 months after the drug interaction was found.[2] The frequency of deadly cases of rhabdomyolysis with cerivastatin was 16 to 80 times higher than with other statins.[3] Another 385 nonfatal cases of rhabdomyolysis were reported. This put the risk of this (rare) complication at 5-10 times that of the other statins. Cerivastatin also induced myopathy in a dose-dependent manner when administered as monotherapy, but that was revealed only after Bayer was sued and unpublished company documents were opened.[4]

References

References

  1. ↑ Furberg CD, Pitt B. Withdrawal of cerivastatin from the world market. Curr Control Trials Cardiovasc Med 2001;2:205-207. PMID 11806796.
  2. ↑ Psaty BM, Furberg CD, Ray WA, Weiss NS (2004). “Potential for conflict of interest in the evaluation of suspected adverse drug reactions: use of cerivastatin and risk of rhabdomyolysis”. JAMA. 292 (21): 2622–31. doi:10.1001/jama.292.21.2622. PMID 15572720.
  3. ↑ Zeitlinger M, Müller M (2003). “[Clinico-pharmacologic explanation models of cerivastatin associated rhabdomyolysis]”. Wien Med Wochenschr (in German). 153 (11–12): 250–4. doi:10.1046/j.1563-258X.2003.03029.x. PMID 12879633.
  4. ↑ Saito M, Hirata-Koizumi M, Miyake S, Hasegawa R (2005). “[Withdrawal of cerivastatin revealed a flaw of post-marketing surveillance system in the United States]”. Kokuritsu Iyakuhin Shokuhin Eisei Kenkyusho Hokoku (in Japanese) (123): 41–5. PMID 16541751.

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]