Mevinolin

Lovastatin

Clinical data
Trade names	Mevacor
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a688006
Pregnancy category	US: X (Contraindicated)
Routes of administration	Oral
ATC code	C10AA02 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	US: ℞-only
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	<5%
Protein binding	>98%
Metabolism	Hepatic (CYP3A and CYP2C8 substrate)
Biological half-life	2–5 hours
Excretion	Faeces (83%), urine (10%)
Identifiers
IUPAC name (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
Synonyms	Monacolin K, Mevinolin
CAS Number	75330-75-5 Y
PubChem CID	53232
IUPHAR/BPS	2739
DrugBank	DB00227 Y
ChemSpider	48085 Y
UNII	9LHU78OQFD
KEGG	D00359 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:40303 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL503 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.115.931
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C24H36O5
Molar mass	404.54 g/mol
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES 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 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 Y Key:PCZOHLXUXFIOCF-BXMDZJJMSA-N Y

Lovastatin (Merck's Mevacor) is a statin drug, used for lowering cholesterol in those with hypercholesterolemia to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Lovastatin is a naturally occurring compound found in low concentrations in food such as oyster mushrooms,red yeast rice, and Pu-erh.

The primary uses of lovastatin is for the treatment of dyslipidemia and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It is recommended to be used only after other measures, such as diet, exercise, and weight reduction, have not improved cholesterol levels.

Lovastatin is usually well tolerated, with the most common side effects being, in approximately descending order of frequency: creatine phosphokinase elevation, flatulence, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, muscle aches or pains, nausea, indigestion, weakness, blurred vision, rash, dizziness and muscle cramps. As with all statin drugs, it can rarely cause myopathy, hepatotoxicity (liver damage), dermatomyositis or rhabdomyolysis. This can be life-threatening if not recognised and treated in time, so any unexplained muscle pain or weakness whilst on lovastatin should be promptly mentioned to the prescribing doctor. Other uncommon side effects that should be promptly mentioned to either the prescribing doctor or an emergency medical service include:

These less serious side effects should still be reported if they persist or increase in severity:

Contraindications, conditions that warrant withholding treatment with lovastatin, include pregnancy, breast feeding, and liver disease. Lovastatin is contraindicated during pregnancy (Pregnancy Category X); it may cause birth defects such as skeletal deformities or learning disabilities. Due to its potential to disrupt infant lipid metabolism, lovastatin should not be taken while breastfeeding. Patients with liver disease should not take lovastatin.