New Data Demonstrates the Efficacy of CRESTOR(R) Compared to Other Leading Statins in Treating High-Risk Patient Populations For

New Data Demonstrates the Efficacy of CRESTOR(R) Compared to
Other Leading Statins in Treating High-Risk Patient Populations For Elevated
Cholesterol 


PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 24  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New data presented
today from four studies (MERCURY II, POLARIS, PULSAR, ANDROMEDA) involving more
than 4,300 patients in total, provided further evidence of the efficacy of
CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) in reducing elevated cholesterol levels in
high-risk patients, as defined by initial and updated Adult Treatment Panel
(ATP) III LDL-C guidelines, with either atherosclerosis, coronary heart
disease, type II diabetes or elevated cholesterol.  The data were presented at
the 75th European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress in Prague, Czech
Republic.

Results from MERCURY II (Measuring Effective Reductions in Cholesterol Using
Rosuvastatin therapY), which involved 1,993 high- and very high-risk (coronary
heart disease or risk equivalent) patients, demonstrated that switching to
CRESTOR from atorvastatin or simvastatin at the doses studied provided greater
reductions in LDL-C or "bad" cholesterol and brought more patients to their new
ATP III LDL-C goal than patients who stayed on atorvastatin or simvastatin.

"In the U.S., we know that a high percentage of patients are still not getting
to their cholesterol goal and the updated ATP III guidelines suggest the option
of even lower treatment goals for LDL-C," said Christie Ballantyne, MD,
Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX and lead
investigator for MERCURY II.  "These data add to the body of evidence that
continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of CRESTOR in helping, in this case,
high- and very high-risk patients achieve their cholesterol goals."

MERCURY II is a 16-week, randomized, open-label study comparing efficacy of
statin treatments following a switch to either CRESTOR 10 or 20 mg, after eight
weeks of treatment, from atorvastatin 10 or 20 mg and simvastatin 20 or 40 mg
in high- and very high-risk subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia. These
data show that 43 percent of the patients who were switched to CRESTOR 10 mg
from atorvastatin 10mg achieved LDL-C goals (