Crestor and Zocor Drugs Linked to Muscle Degeneration, Rhabdomyolysis

EDISON, N.J., July 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Crestor and
Zocor are
widely-used prescription strength drugs designed to lower “bad
cholesterol”. Both drugs are classified as “statins”, medicine
which lowers blood cholesterol levels by inhibiting HMG-CoA
reductase. This group of drugs has had a controversial history,
starting with Baycol, a drug similar to Crestor and Zocor, touted
as a “super statin” before its recall from the market. Despite
numerous objections from medical researchers and reputable consumer
groups due to safety concerns, the drug was approved by the FDA in
August of 2003, and launched a month later. Even before their FDA
approval, these drugs showed signs of being linked to serious
muscle and kidney problems, including the potentially fatal,
muscle-destroying condition rhabdomyolysis.

Zocor and Crestor are strongly marketed by their parent
companies, Merck and AstraZeneca respectively. By early 2004, 27%
of all new prescriptions for statin drugs were for Crestor. The
Wall Street Journal reported:

“AstraZeneca sales force (Crestor) was making more calls to
doctors than any of its competitors. Beginning in late February,
reflecting the sales calls, new prescriptions of Crestor began to
rise and overtook Lipitor by the beginning of March 20.”

This style of pharmaceutical marketing is so effective that in
2010, the statin Lipitor was the #1 selling drug in America by
unit, with Crestor at #6.

Warning-sign side effects include: