Fluvastatin

(CC) Image: David E. Volk
Fluvastatin, a type II statin.

Fluvastatin, also called luvastatina (Spanish) fluvastatine (French), fluvastatinum (Latin) and fluindostatin, is a type II statin used for the treatment of high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia), the prevention of heart attacks and strokes, and to diminish arterial plaque formation. It is used to reduce levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and apo B. It was the first synthetically derived HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and like the other type II statins, carivastin, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, it is based on an fluorophenyl structure rather than the naphtha ring system present in the type I statins mevastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin. Suppression of HMG-CoA reductase decreases production of mevalonate, a key chemical precursor of cholesterol.

Its official IUPAC chemical name is (E,3S,5R)-7-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-propan-2-ylindol-2-yl]-3,5-dihydroxyhept-6-enoic acid and its chemical formula is C₂₄H₂₆FNO₄.

brand names

Fluvastatin is sold in the following brand name products.

• Cranoc
• Lescol
• Lescol XL
• Canef