FDA Refuses to Ban AstraZeneca Cholesterol Drug Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:48 PM GMT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday denied a consumer group's petition asking for a ban on AstraZeneca Plc's cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor. The group, Public Citizen, had argued Crestor was too dangerous to stay on the market. The FDA said it disagreed with the group's contention that Crestor was more likely than similar drugs made by other manufacturers to cause life-threatening muscle damage. The FDA also said there was no evidence to support Public Citizen's charge that Crestor could seriously harm patients' kidneys. "Your request that we withdraw Crestor from the market is denied," the FDA wrote in a letter to Public Citizen. "We will continue to closely monitor ongoing clinical trials and adverse event reports involving Crestor, and we will take further action if needed to protect patients," the FDA added.