CLINICAL-STUDIES OF FLUVASTATIN

Fluvastatin is the most recently developed of the available HMG-CoA re ductase inhibitors, and is chemically distinct from the other availabl e drugs in this class. Pooled data from clinical trials shows that flu vastatin reduces LDL cholesterol by an average of 20.5% when used in a dose of 20 mg each evening and by 25.7% when used in a dose of 40 mg daily. It may be slightly more effective in women than in men, but thi s difference is not of a clinically important magnitude. When used in combination with a low dose of cholestyramine or with nicotinic acid, substantially greater reduction of LDL cholesterol is seen (30-36% wit h fluvastatin 20 mg/day plus cholestyramine 4 g twice daily; 40% with fluvastatin 20 mg/day plus nicotinic acid). Fluvastatin is well tolera ted. in controlled clinical trials, clinically significant transaminas e elevations have occurred in 1.3% of patients treated with fluvastati n vs. 0.5% of those receiving placebo. No case of myopathy has been at tributed to fluvastatin.