Background: Previous studies have shown conflicting results on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction for comparable doses of pitavastatin and atorvastatin.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of pitavastatin 1 mg once daily with that of atorvastatin 10 mg once daily on lipoprotein change, safety, and cost per percent LDL-C reduction.

Methods: An 8-week, randomized, open-label, parallel trial was conducted in patients with hypercholesterolemia. One hundred patients were equally randomized to receive pitavastatin 1 mg once daily or atorvastatin 10 mg once daily; 98 completed the study. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study.

Results: Pitavastatin lowered LDL-C levels from baseline by 37% compared with 46% in the atorvastatin group (p < 0.001). The reduction of total cholesterol (TC) levels from baseline was significantly different between the pitavastatin (28%) and atorvastatin (32%) groups (p = 0.005). There was no significant difference in the percentage of changes in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels between groups. The percentage of patients who achieved LDL-C goals according to National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines was not significantly different between the pitavastatin (74%) and atorvastatin (84%) groups (p = 0.220). In addition, both regimens were well tolerated, with no patient developing an elevation of more than 3 times the upper normal limit of alanine aminotransferase or 10 times that of creatine kinase. The monthly cost per percent LDL-C reduction in the pitavastatin group ($0.77) was about 50% lower than the cost in the atorvastatin ($1.56) group.

Conclusions: Although pitavastatin 1 mg daily was not as effective at lowering LDL-C and TC levels as atorvastatin 10 mg daily, the number of patients achieving their LDL-C goals with pitavastatin was comparable with the number using atorvastatin. Pitavastatin 1 mg once daily may be an alternative regimen with cost-saving benefits but without a significant decrease in therapeutic benefit or increase in adverse events in patients with hypercholesterolemia.