AstraZeneca's Crestor May Harm Kidneys
(Washington, Reuters, 10/29/04)

The US consumer group, Public Citizen, called for a ban on Crestor (rosuvastatin), citing the fact that 29 patients who took this anti-cholesterol medication have sustained kidney damage. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, head of the organization’s research department, wrote to the FDA informing them that the drug is toxic and should be removed from the market, but AstraZeneca, the company that manufactures Crestor, contends that their product is as safe as other statins. The FDA is continuing to permit the sale of this pharmaceutical, while saying it will monitor the safety issues.