FDAnews Drug Daily Bulletin

AstraZeneca is stopping a clinical trial of its cardiovascular drug Crestor early because there is unequivocal evidence of a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among patients who took the drug compared with those on a placebo, the company said.

The study’s independent data monitoring board and steering committee recently met and recommended the clinical trial be stopped early due to Crestor’s (rosuvastatin calcium) success.

Clinical investigators will schedule final assessments for more than 15,000 trial participants at more than 1,200 sites in 26 countries. AstraZeneca said it will collect and review data from these visits, compile a full analysis and publish it when it is complete.