CARCINOGENICITY OF POLICOSANOL IN MICE - AN 18-MONTH STUDY

Policosanol (trade name Ateromixol) is a new cholesterol-lowering drug that has been isolated and purified from sugar cane wax. The effects of policosanol (50-500 mg/kg) administered orally for 18 months to mal e and female Swiss mice were investigated. No differences in daily cli nical observations, weight gain, food consumption and mortality (survi val analysis) between groups were found. Histopathological study showe d that the frequency of neoplastic (benign and malignant) lesions was similar in the control and policosanol-treated groups. The lesions obs erved were similar to the spontaneous lesions in Swiss mice reported i n previous studies. As no drug-related increase in the occurrence of m alignant or benign neoplasm was found, nor acceleration in tumour grow th in any specific group observed, this study shows no evidence of pol icosanol-induced carcinogenicity in Swiss mice.