Efficacy and safety of once-daily vs twice-daily dosing with fluvastatin, a synthetic reductase inhibitor, in primary hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND: Fluvastatin sodium is a new, entirely synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor that may be an effective lipid-lowering agent in patients whose hyperlipidemia does not respond to dietary therapy. We conducted a study to evaluate the effects of fluvastatin on lipoprotein levels in subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia and to compare the efficacy and safety of two fluvastatin sodium dosing regimens: 20 mg once daily vs 10 mg twice daily. DESIGN: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial involving 207 patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of 4.15 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or higher despite dietary intervention and with triglyceride levels of 3.38 mmol/L or lower. Three parallel treatment groups received 6 weeks of treatment with 20 mg of fluvastatin sodium once daily, 10 mg of fluvastatin sodium twice daily, or a placebo. RESULTS: Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were reduced from baseline by 16% and 22%, respectively, with 20 mg of fluvastatin sodium once daily (P < .001) and by 17% and 23%, respectively, with 10 mg of fluvastatin sodium twice daily (P < .001). Fluvastatin was well tolerated, and there were no serious clinical or biochemical adverse events ascribable to the drug. CONCLUSIONS: Fluvastatin therapy demonstrated excellent short-term safety and efficacy in reducing total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Fluvastatin sodium, the first totally synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor to be used in clinical trials, appears to be both effective and well tolerated at 20 mg/d, given in either a single or divided dose.

Pharmacokinetics of fluvastatin and specific drug interactions.

Fluvastatin sodium (Lescol) is the first synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA)-reductase inhibitor to be studied extensively in humans. Absorption of fluvastatin is complete and unaffected by the presence of food. Systemic exposure is limited because of extensive sequestration by the liver and/or first-pass metabolism, a plasma half-life of approximately 30 min, no circulating active metabolites, and no accumulation of drug during chronic dosing. Approximately 95% of a single dose of fluvastatin is excreted via the biliary route with less than 2% as the parent compound. Studies investigating the effect of food on fluvastatin pharmacokinetics have demonstrated marked reductions in the rate of bioavailability (Cmax) of 40% to 60%. A comparison of drug administration with the evening meal or at bedtime revealed no significant differences in either the extent of bioavailability (area under the curve; AUC) or pharmacodynamic effect [reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)]. Relative to the general population, plasma fluvastatin concentrations do not vary as a function of either age or gender. Administration of a single 40-mg dose to a patient population with hepatic insufficiency resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in both AUC and Cmax. Drug interaction studies with fluvastatin and cholestyramine (CME) demonstrated a lower rate and extent of fluvastatin bioavailability; no impact on efficacy was demonstrated when CME was given 4 h before fluvastatin dosing in clinical trials. Interaction studies with niacin and propranolol demonstrated no effects on fluvastatin plasma levels, and fluvastatin administered to a patient population chronically receiving digoxin had no effect on the AUC of digoxin compared with controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A quarter century of drug treatment of dyslipoproteinemia, with a focus on the new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin.

Disorders associated with the overproduction or delayed clearance of beta-very low density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein (LDL) are strikingly related to premature coronary artery disease. There are five recognized classes of LDL-lowering drugs, each acting through different basic mechanisms. The increased predictability, safety, and efficacy of newer lipid-lowering agents have allowed controlled clinical trials to demonstrate conclusively that reducing LDL leads to a reduction in coronary artery disease. Fluvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, is almost completely absorbed, actively targeted to the liver, and secreted in the bile. It has no active circulating metabolites. The safety and efficacy of fluvastatin have been demonstrated in more than 2,500 subjects treated in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and more than 1,000 have been treated for more than 1 year. Combination of fluvastatin with cholestyramine results in additional cholesterol lowering. The Lipoprotein and Coronary Atherosclerosis Study, a randomized, double-blind trial of fluvastatin using quantitative coronary angiography to measure atherosclerotic plaque change and positron emission tomography to evaluate myocardial perfusion (myocardial flow reserve), illustrates the further exploration of lipoproteins and atherogenesis made possible by the availability of this new generation of cholesterol-lowering agents.