RxTrials Institute Drug Pipeline Alert

AstraZeneca is stopping a trial of its cardiovascular drug Crestor based on evidence of a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among patients who took the drug compared with placebo.

The JUPITER study’s independent data monitoring board and steering committee recommended the clinical trial be stopped early due to Crestor’s (rosuvastatin calcium) success. The trial was designed to determine if patients with no evidence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease, low-to-normal LDL cholesterol and elevated C-reactive protein who took 20 mg of Crestor once daily would suffer fewer major cardiovascular events.

The multinational study is part of a global research initiative, the GALAXY program, which has enrolled more than 64,000 to investigate the impact of Crestor on cardiovascular risk reduction and patient outcomes, AstraZeneca said.