Generically known as rosuvastatin and classified as a œstatin medication, Crestor was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 for the treatment of high total cholesterol, high levels of LDL cholesterol, and high levels of fat in the blood (tryglcerides). As of February, 2010, Crestor has also been FDA approved for reducing the risk of heart attack and heart-related complications in high-risk patients, like diabetics or coronary heart failure patients.
Crestor is marketed by AstraZeneca in the U.S. and, as of 2004, had been taken by more than 4 million patients worldwide. Within the first year this drug became available in the U.S., it generated more than $1 billion in sales. Currently, Crestor’s primary competition is Lipitor and Zocor>
Crestor Side Effects
Regardless of its effectiveness and popularity, Crestor “ like other statins “ carries the risk of causing some patients to develop serious side effects, such as rhambdomyolysis, a progressive muscle damage that can cause dangerous proteins to be released into the bloodstream, damage the kidneys, and cause kidney (renal) dysfunction, and kidney failure.
In February of 2010, the same month in which the FDA extended its approval for the uses of Crestor, a study conducted by Elsevier, Ltd. reported that Crestor patients had an increased risk of about 9 percent of developing type-2 diabetes.
Although Public Citizen (a patients’ rights advocacy group) has formally appealed the FDA in an effort to get Crestor taken off the U.S. market, the FDA denied this request, and Crestor is still available in the U.S.
Interestingly, however, at the time the FDA denied the request for a Crestor recall, it also issued a national warning regarding use of Crestor in patients of Asian ethnicity. This FDA warning urged physicians to only prescribe Asian patients the lowest doses of Crestor (5-milligram doses), as these patients had an elevated risk of developing serious Crestor side effects
Crestor Lawyers
Our Crestor lawyers encourage injured patients to attend a complimentary initial consultation so they can learn more about their legal rights, receive a thorough assessment of their case, and get their case started at no upfront cost to them.
If you or a loved one has been affected by Crestor side effects, you should contact our dangerous drug attorneys immediately for a free and confidential case review. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.
