Description |
Pravastatin is a cholesterol-lowering agent that belongs to a class of medications known as statins. It was derived from microbial transformation of mevastatin, the first statin discovered. It is a ring-opened dihydroxyacid with a 6’-hydroxyl group that does not require <i>in vivo</i> activation. Pravastatin is one of the lower potency statins; however, its increased hydrophilicity is thought to confer advantages such as minimal penetration through lipophilic membranes of peripheral cells, increased selectivity for hepatic tissues, and a reduction in side effects compared with lovastatin and simvastatin.
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