Crestor lawsuit news log

Crestor is not as safe, study shows

Sun, 2 Apr 2006 16:20:34 -0400

Lead author, Richard Karas, analyzed 145 rosuvastatin assocaited adverse reactions during Crestor's first year and found it was much more likely to cause rhabdomyolysis, proteinuria, or kidney failure than other statins. Dr. Karas urges health care providers to consider other statins. AstraZeneca responded that event reports for Crestor were not causally connected to these concerns. The failure to warn on Crestor is significant in these claims against the manufacturer. Also, the aggressive marketing to consumers adds to the liability of AZ in selling these drugs. There are more cases out there than the public is aware of and it seems only a matter of time until AstraZeneca will ahve to pay for the harm caused by this drug.

London Based AstraZeneca held responsible for Crestor Problems

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 16:29:23 -0400

Will AstraZeneca's Crestor go the way of Baycol? Will it be removed from the market because of unique risks of muscle disease? 5 years ago, Baycol was removed for these same problems that now are appearing to be related to Crestor -- Rhabdbomyolysis. Like Baycol, Crestor is a statin. Statins block certain enzymes the body uses to make cholesterol. But this drug is listed as a DO NOT USE drug by http://www.worstdrugs.com.

US Public Health Group Attacks Safety of GSK

Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:04:34 -0400

The latest claims come as the drug industry struggles to clean up its image after a string of safety controversies that have sent its reputation to record lows. Public Citizen has been among the industry's most persistent critics, and recently turned its fire on Crestor, a cholesterol medicine from the UK's AstraZeneca which it claimed was unsafe.

http://www.rednova.com/news/health/263767/us_public_health_group_attacks_safety_of_gsks_asthma_drug/index.html?source=r_health

More Bitter Pills For Big Pharma

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:15:46 -0400

Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering drug from the same company, fell under scrutiny for potential side effects. By the end of the year, all this heat was battering pharmaceutical company valuations and misting future prospects for drug stocks. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_02/b3915433.htm

Crestor has been associated with a much greater risk, reports FDA

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 06:50:58 -0400

5/31/05: A pre-published article in Circulation last week reported that the cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor has been associated with a much greater frequency of reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that other statin drugs (eg, Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol). Unfortunately, the article did not offer any solutions, nor has the FDA. Jay S. Cohen M.D., a nationally recognized expert on medication side effects, has been writing and speaking about the increased risks with Crestor since the drug was first approved. Dr. Cohen believes that many of the problems with Crestor can be prevented with simple measures that the FDA must undertake to ensure patients' safety.

Mixed Safety Results on Cholesterol Drug

Sun, 12 Jun 2005 20:11:00 -0400

The study seemed to challenge a recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration to keep Crestor on the market. But it also showed that over all, these kinds of drugs, known as statins, were safe. Even the risks of serious problems with Crestor, which is manufactured by AstraZeneca, are very low, said the authors of the study, one of the largest reviews of the nationwide use of statin drugs. Officials of the American Heart Association, which published the findings online in its journal, Circulation, at www.circulationaha.org, said in a news conference that patients should continue taking any statin, including Crestor, until they could consult their doctor. Dr. Alice K. Jacobs, president of the heart association and a cardiologist at Boston University, said statins had been used safely for 20 years.

NY Times on Crestor and other statins

Sat, 28 May 2005 06:44:22 -0400

May 27, 2005 Wonder Drugs and Their Side Effects

It's been an up and down month for statins, a class of widely touted "wonder drugs" that have already sprinted to the top of the best-seller list based on their ability to lower cholesterol and thus reduce the risk of heart disease. Now preliminary studies suggest that they may be effective against an array of cancers as well, though that is far from proved.

The hitch is lingering safety concerns, highlighted by a recent study showing that the most powerful drug in the class had a much higher rate of serious adverse reports than did its competitors.

The statins are undeniably good at lowering cholesterol, and studies published early this year showed that they were also effective in reducing levels of a protein involved in inflammation, a separate risk factor in heart disease. Because inflammation appears to be at the root of many diseases, The Harvard Health Letter recently suggested that statins may eventually be used to treat conditions like Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies published or presented this month suggested that statins may reduce the risks of cancers affecting the colon, breast and other organs. Rigorous controlled trials are clearly needed.

Potential Adverse Effects of Statins like Crestor on Muscle

Wed, 4 May 2005 17:58:04 -0400

Six statins are currently available, and they are known by a variety of brand names: atorvastatin (Lipitor*), fluvastatin (Lesco[dagger]), lovastatin (Mevacor,[double dagger] Altoprev), pravastatin (Pravachol||), rosuvastatin (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor[double dagger]). Although these drugs have been very successful in managing the cardiovascular health of many patients, there are also potential adverse effects that have been identified. The most common adverse effects reported include muscle pain or weakness that can progress to rhabdomyolysis and mortality.5 If detected early, statin-related symptoms are reversible after withdrawal of the statin.6,7 Early identification of these potentially serious adverse effects makes the information in this update critical for physical therapists, because they frequently screen patients with musculoskeletal complaints.

AstraZeneca, Shionogi Jointly Launch Crestor Antihypercholesterolemia Agent

Mon, 2 May 2005 17:58:13 -0400

Tokyo (JCNN) - On April 27, AstraZeneca K.K. and Shionogi (TSE: 4507) announced that they have put on sale Crestor Tablet 2.5mg and Crestor Tablet 5mg, cholesterol-lowering agents used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, across Japan.

Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) is a HMC-CoA reductase inhibitor that effectively reduces LDL cholesterol and elevate HDL cholesterol.

Based on the ICH E2E guideline on Pharmacovigilance Planning, the two companies will exclusively deliver the agents to specific medical institutions and promptly conduct post-marketing surveillance studies.

Results from ORION Study on Crestor

Mon, 2 May 2005 17:58:00 -0400

Results from ORION indicate that significant lowering of bad cholesterol levels (>50%) are also associated with regressing plaques at sites with the most disease London, United Kingdom, 24 April 2005.