AstraZeneca gets EU nod for Crestor

27th Apr 2010 07:28

Drugs giant AstraZeneca has received more good news on its cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor after the European Union cleared its use in nineteen European countries for patients at risk of a first heart attack.The clearance follows a significant reduction in the combined endpoint of heart attacks, strokes and CV deaths amongst the high risk patients in its Jupiter trial of nearly 18,000 people, Astra said."This new indication is a significant milestone and means that rosuvastatin (Crestor) can now be prescribed to high risk patients to prevent CV events including heart attacks and strokes", said Michael Cressman, executive director of clinical research for Crestor. The drug has now received regulatory approval in over 100 countries.