Pravastatin

In medicine and pharmacology, pravastatin (Pravachol® or Selektine®) is a member of the drug class of statins, used for lowering cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular disease.

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Pravastatin was identified originally in a bacterium called Nocardia autotrophica by researchers of the Sankyo Pharma Inc. It is presently being marketed outside Japan by the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb.

In 2003, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced in a magazine advertisement that pravastatin is no longer the only statin approved by the FDA proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and that rosuvastatin, another statin, is approved to reduce this risk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a generic version of Pravastatin for sale in the United States for the first time on April 24, 2006. Generic Pravastatin Sodium Tablets (10mg, 20mg and 40mg) are manufactured by TEVA Pharmaceuticals in Kfar Sava, Israel. FDA Press Release

In 2005, Pravachol was the 22nd highest-selling brand-name drug in the United States. FDA Press Release