Rosuvastatin can reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels from 46 to 55 percent at daily doses of 10 to 40 milligrams, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The same daily dose range increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 7.6 to 9.6 percent.

The Phase III trial, the Statin Therapies for Elevated Lipid Levels compared Across doses to Rosuvastatin (STELLAR) study, was a 6-week, randomized open-label study that examined the efficacy of specific dose ranges for rosuvastatin in comparison with typical dose ranges of atorvastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

"STELLAR reinforces what we have learned from previous clinical trials of Crestor [rosuvastatin]," said Peter Jones, MD, lead investigator of the trial.

In the current study, 2431 patients with hypercholesterolemia (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL or higher and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol less than 250 mg/dL, triglycerides less than 400 mg/dL) were randomized to one of 15 open-label treatment arms for 6 weeks.

At a daily dose of 10 to 40 mg, rosuvastatin reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 46 to 55 percent compared with 37 to 51 percent for atorvastatin (10 to 80 mg daily), 28 to 46 percent for simvastatin (10 to 80 mg daily), and 20 to 30 percent for pravastatin (10 to 40 mg daily).

Elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level at the specified dose ranges was also studied: Rosuvastatin raised levels by 7.6 to 9.6 percent compared with 2.0 to 5.7 percent for atorvastatin, 5.3 to 6.8 percent for simvastatin, and 3.2 to 5.5 percent for pravastatin.