Crestor Recall Could Happen

Although no action seems to have been taken yet in regards to side effects associated with the cholesterol drug Crestor, results of a recent Food and Drug Administration study on a similar statin medication seem to indicate that Crestor and other such drugs can be dangerous to consumers, especially in certain doses. The Food and Drug Administration recently released an announcement that advised against doctors prescribing the popular cholesterol-reducing medication Zocor to patients in the 80 mg dose, formerly the highest possible dose. It is at this dosage that patients experience the greatest number of side effects. Experienced Crestor lawyers are representing patients who have decided to take legal action against the makers of Crestor.

Cholesterol Reducing Crestor Accused of Raising Risks For Patients

Crestor, a cholesterol reducing medication also known as a statin, was U.S. government approved in August of 2003. In June 2011, the FDA issued a warning to doctors about potential side effects of Zocor and Crestor when used at high doses (80 mg), saying that the cholesterol drug may increase the risk of muscle injury or myopathy. The warning came after more than a year of FDA experts reviewing clinical trials on Crestor and other drugs containing simvastatin, which had been available to the manufacturers for some time. Muscle injury and other Crestor side effects may hospitalize about 5 out of every 100,000 people who take the highest dose of the medication. The FDA has urged doctors not to start new patients on 80 mg Crestor and to only give the high dose to patients who have taken it for more than a year without side effects.

Crestor Side Effects: Are They Impairing Market Value?

Drugmaker AstraZeneca saw a drop in profits, especially for the cholesterol drug Crestor, in the first quarter of 2011 as compared to their reports in 2010. In 2010, the company made $11 billion, a three percent increase from the year prior – and Crestor itself gained in popularity, with percent increase in sales in the double digits. The first quarter of 2011 saw a drop in profits for the company, however, especially related to Crestor. Although it is not certain, there is a possibility that this loss is due to side effects of Crestor, which have been publicized more and more lately, and several lawsuits surrounding the medication.

Crestor and Other Statins Found to Have Adverse Side Effects in Some

Crestor, known generically as Rosuvastatin, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August of 2003 for the treatment of high-cholesterol. Manufactured by AstraZeneca, Crestor reduces cholesterol levels by blocking the liver from producing bad cholesterol (LDL). Only three months after its approval, three patients in the United States who were taking approved doses of rosuvastatin developed Crestor side effects including kidney failure or muscle damage. The Public Citizen filed a petition to the FDA just months after Crestor’s approval in an effort to prevent Crestor from being sold due to concerns over kidney toxicity. In studies before Crestor’s approval, seven people were struck by cases of rhabdomyolysis. Since the original Public Citizen petition was filed with the FDA in early March, the organization said eleven additional cases of muscle damage, ten of them in the United States, and three additional cases of kidney problems have been reported.

Consumer Group Calls for Crestor Recall

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, has indicated that the FDA did not go far enough and should have issued an outright ban on the high dose version of Crestor, Lipitor and Zocor, according to a statement made in its Worst Pills, Best Pills newsletter. The consumer group has designated Crestor 80mg as a “Do Not Use” medication, and urged all consumers, including those who had taken Crestor 80 mg without any problem so far, to consider switching to another medication or lower Crestor dosage. However, the organization cautioned that patients should check with their doctors before ending any drug treatment. Patients suffering from the adverse effects fo Crestor are taking legal action and consulting with experienced Crestor lawyers.