Lovastatin

Lovastatin
Clinical data
Trade namesMevacor, Altocor, others
Other namesMonacolin K, Mevinolin
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa688006
License data
Routes of
administration		By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability<5%[1]
Protein binding>98%[1]
MetabolismLiver (CYP3A and CYP2C8 substrate)[1]
Elimination half-life2–5 hours[1]
ExcretionFaeces (83%), urine (10%)[1]
Identifiers
  • (1S,3R,7S,8S,8aR)-8-{2-[(2R,4R)-4-Hydroxy-6-oxooxan-2-yl]ethyl}-3,7-dimethyl-1,2,3,7,8,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-1-yl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.115.931 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC24H36O5
Molar mass404.547 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • O=C(O[C@@H]1[C@H]3C(=C/[C@H](C)C1)\C=C/[C@@H]([C@@H]3CC[C@H]2OC(=O)C[C@H](O)C2)C)[C@@H](C)CC
  • InChI=1S/C24H36O5/c1-5-15(3)24(27)29-21-11-14(2)10-17-7-6-16(4)20(23(17)21)9-8-19-12-18(25)13-22(26)28-19/h6-7,10,14-16,18-21,23,25H,5,8-9,11-13H2,1-4H3/t14-,15-,16-,18+,19+,20-,21-,23-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:PCZOHLXUXFIOCF-BXMDZJJMSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Lovastatin, sold under the brand name Mevacor among others, is a statin medication, to treat high blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.[2] Its use is recommended together with lifestyle changes.[2] It is taken by mouth.[2]

Common side effects include diarrhea, constipation, headache, muscles pains, rash, and trouble sleeping.[2] Serious side effects may include liver problems, muscle breakdown, and kidney failure.[2] Use during pregnancy may harm the baby and use during breastfeeding is not recommended.[3] It works by decreasing the liver's ability to produce cholesterol by blocking the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase.[2]

Lovastatin was patented in 1979 and approved for medical use in 1987.[4] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[5] It is available as a generic medication.[2] In 2022, it was the 111th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 5 million prescriptions.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b c d e Neuvonen PJ, Backman JT, Niemi M (2008). "Pharmacokinetic comparison of the potential over-the-counter statins simvastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin and pravastatin". Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 47 (7): 463–474. doi:10.2165/00003088-200847070-00003. PMID 18563955. S2CID 11716425.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Lovastatin Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Lovastatin Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Warnings". Drugs.com. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  4. ^ Fischer J, Ganellin CR (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 472. ISBN 9783527607495.
  5. ^ World Health Organization (2021). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 22nd list (2021). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/345533. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2021.02.
  6. ^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Lovastatin Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.