Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Tom Capezzuto
(973) 972-7273
E-mail: capezzta@umdnj.edu

At UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
UMDNJ Researchers Testing Cholesterol-Lowering Drug For its Ability
To Prevent Heart Attacks in Those with Protein Linked to Heart Disease

5/26/05—Researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). are evaluating the effectiveness of a cholesterol-lowering drug for its ability to prevent possible heart attacks in those who have dangerously high levels of a protein recently linked to heart disease.

Researchers are testing moderate doses of the drug Crestor, a statin used to treat high cholesterol, to determine if it may reduce the risk of heart attacks in those with normal cholesterol but high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), said Dr. Norman L. Lasser, a preventive cardiologist at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark and principal investigator of the new study.

The study, called JUPITER (Justification for the Use of statins in Primary prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin), is being sponsored by AstraZenica Pharmaceuticals LP of Wilmington, Del.

"Elevated levels of CRP are manufactured in the liver and cells lining the blood vessels," Dr. Lasser explained. "They are typically found in those who smoke, are obese, have high cholesterol or diabetes. In some instances, it is present even in those who have low levels of cholesterol. Its levels often rise and remain high in patients who have chronic inflammation from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or periodontal disease.

"We feel that based on the outcomes of recent studies, the CRP protein plays a pivotal role in heart disease and we want to track the effects of Crestor on patients 55 years of age or older," Dr. Lasser said. "We believe this statin may not only reduce cholesterol levels by as much as 46 percent, but also may slow the progression of atherosclerosis, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes."

In the JUPITER study, researchers at 500 clinical sites, including the UMDNJ-New
Jersey Medical School, will recruit men who are 55 or older and women who are 60 or older. To qualify for participation in the study, the volunteers should:

• Not have a history of heart disease
• Not have uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Not currently be using a statin or lipid-lowering medication
• Not currently be using immunosuppressant medication
• Not have diabetes mellitus
• Not have a recent history of cancer, except for skin cancer

Potential participants will be screened free of charge by measurement of their cholesterol and CRP, and, if eligible, will receive a physical, other lab tests and free medications. The JUPITER study will involve 11 clinical visits over 42 months, noted Dr. Lasser.

Those interested in applying for admission to the JUPITER study should contact Roberta Silverberg at (973) 972-6107.