Fluvastatin Vs. Rosuvastatin: Drug Comparison

Fluvastatin is a statin medication used to lower cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol production in the liver, helping to reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. Its FDA-approved indications include the treatment of high cholesterol and the prevention of cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes in individuals with elevated cholesterol levels. Fluvastatin is available in oral tablet form, both immediate-release and extended-release. Common side effects include muscle pain, headache, and indigestion, while serious risks include liver damage and muscle breakdown.

Rosuvastatin is the active ingredient in the brand-name medication Crestor^®. The information below is about brand name Crestor. According to the FDA, “Generic medicines use the same active ingredients as brand-name medicines and work the same way, so they have the same risks and benefits as the brand-name medicines.”

Crestor (rosuvastatin) is a statin medication used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which reduces the production of cholesterol in the liver. Its FDA-approved indications include the treatment of high cholesterol, prevention of cardiovascular disease, and reduction of stroke or heart attack risk in individuals with elevated cholesterol. Off label, Crestor may be used for conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia or for cardiovascular protection in certain high-risk groups. It is available in tablet form, taken orally. Common side effects include muscle pain, headache, and nausea, while serious warnings include the risk of muscle breakdown and liver damage.

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin)

HMG Co‑A reductase inhibitor (statin)

Fluvastatin is indicated as an adjunctive therapy to diet to:

• Reduce elevated TC, LDL-C, Apo B, and TG, and to increase HDL-C in adult patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia

• Reduce elevated TC, LDL-C, and Apo B levels in boys and post-menarchal girls, 10 to 16 years of age, with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia after failing an adequate trial of diet therapy

• Reduce the risk of undergoing revascularization procedures in patients with clinically evident CHD

• Slow the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with CHD

Crestor (rosuvastatin) is indicated:

• To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or an arterial revascularization procedure) in adults without established coronary heart disease who are at increased risk of CV disease based on age, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) ≥2 mg/L, and at least one additional CV risk factor

• As an adjunct to diet to:

  • Reduce LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia

  • Reduce LDL-C and slow the progression of atherosclerosis in adults

  • Reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patients aged 8 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).

• As an adjunct to other LDL-C-lowering therapies, or alone if such treatments are unavailable, to reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patients aged 7 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH)

• As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with:

  • Primary dysbetalipoproteinemia

  • Hypertriglyceridemia

• Typically taken orally once or twice daily

• Comes in 20 mg and 40 mg capsules

• Typically taken orally once daily

• Comes in 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg tablets

Most frequent adverse reactions (rate ≥2% and >placebo) are:

• Headache

• Indigestion

• Muscle pain

• Abdominal pain

• Nausea

Most frequent adverse reactions (rate ≥2%) are:

• Headache

• Nausea

• Muscle aches

• Weakness

• Constipation

• Hypersensitivity to any component of this medication

• Active liver disease or unexplained, persistent elevations in serum transaminases

• Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant

• Nursing mothers

• Drug interactions: cyclosporine, fluconazole, fibrates, niacin, glyburide, phenytoin, warfarin and coumarin derivatives

• Acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis

• Hypersensitivity to rosuvastatin or any excipients in Crestor

• Drug interactions: aluminum and magnesium hydroxide combination antacids, warfarin

• Skeletal muscle effects (e.g., myopathy and rhabdomyolysis)

• Patients should be advised to report promptly any symptoms of myopathy

• Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM)

• Liver enzyme abnormalities

• Myopathy and rhabdomyolysis

• Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM)

• Liver dysfunction

• Pregnancy: May cause fetal harm

• Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding not recommended during treatment with Crestor

*This information is from the fluvastatin label used by Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. This information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient fluvastatin.

*This information is from the label for brand name Crestor^®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Rosuvastatin, the active ingredient in Crestor, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient rosuvastatin.