In the US, statins have been used to lower cholesterol since 1987. Lovastatin was the first type approved by the Food and Drug Administration. There are currently several statins available in the US.
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How long have statins been in use?
Last Updated 3/6/2020
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Laura Gingras, M.D.
Weill Cornell Medicine
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Lisa Souza, M.L.I.S.
Weill Cornell Medicine
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Statins have been in use in the US since:
This is incorrect. In the US, statins have been used to lower cholesterol since 1987.
This is correct! In the US, statins have been used to lower cholesterol since 1987.
This is incorrect. In the US, statins have been used to lower cholesterol since 1987.
In the US, statins have been used to lower cholesterol since 1987.
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See the Science
In 1976, Akira Endo discovered the first effective lipid-lowering statin.1,2 However, the first statin to be marketed was lovastatin. It was discovered in 19801,2 and approved for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia by the FDA in September 1987.3-9
There are currently several statins available in the US:
References
- Steinberg D. Thematic review series: the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. An interpretive history of the cholesterol controversy, part V: the discovery of the statins and the end of the controversy. J Lipid Res 2006; 47 (7): 1339-1351.
- Endo A. A historical perspective on the discovery of statins. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 2010; 86 (5): 484-493.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Drugs@FDA: FDA appoved drug products: Mevacor (lovastatin). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=019643. Accessed May 27, 2019.
- Livalo - pitavastatin calcium [package insert]. Montgomery, AL: Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.; 2016.
- Pravastatin [package insert]. Mahwah, NJ: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA; 2016.
- Fluvastatin [package insert]. North Wales, PA: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.; 2017.
- Simvastatin [package insert]. Durham, NC: Accord Healthcare, Inc.; 2018.
- Lipitor - atorvastatin calcium [package insert]. New York, NY: Parke-Davis Division of Pfizer Inc.; 2019.
- Rosuvastatin [package insert]. Weston, FL: Apotex Corp.; 2019.