AstraZeneca's superstatin Crestor "looks better than Pfizer's Lipitor"

Results of Phase III clinical trials were released last week onAstraZeneca's superstatin cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium), which indicate that the drug may be superior to Pfizer's gold-standard in the class, Lipitor (atorvastatin).

The full data on Crestor, which was featured at the company's recent R&D pipeline conference, is not due to be presented until the American College of Cardiology meeting on Orlando, USA, in March (Marketletter December 18, 2000).

The data, which became available on the ACC's web site on January 12, boosted AstraZeneca's share price 3% on the day, and the company received upgrades from a number of brokers, including Goldman Sachs and WestLB Panmure, as analysts estimated potential peak sales for Crestor of $3-$6.4 billion in the fast-growing statins market. Overall statin sales are expected to have reached $15 million in 2000 and are forecast to grow to $25 billion by 2005, with Lipitor turnover for last year estimated at around $5 billion.