As a Result of the Jupiter Trial, 65 Percent of Surveyed MCO Pharmacy Directors Will Reimburse Crestor for Patients with Elev...( Percentage of Clinicians Performing h...),Health

Percentage of Clinicians Performing hsCRP Testing Will Increase Dramatically Over the Next Six Months, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, as a result of the JUPITER clinical trial, 65 percent of surveyed managed care organizations' (MCO) pharmacy directors say they will reimburse AstraZeneca's Crestor for healthy patients with elevated levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). The JUPITER trial enrolled apparently healthy subjects without high LDL cholesterol but with elevated hsCRP and randomized subjects to receive Crestor or placebo. Trial data showed a 44 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events and reduced all-cause mortality by 20 percent among participants receiving Crestor.

The new Physician & Payer Forum report entitled The JUPITER Trial: Will Physicians and Payers Support a Change in Statin Prescribing? finds that 15 percent of surveyed MCO pharmacy directors will grant Crestor more favorable tier status in light of the trial. Crestor is currently on tier one of only 10 percent of surveyed MCO private health plans, while Pfizer's Lipitor is on tier one of 30 percent of surveyed MCO plans. Additionally, among Medicare prescription drug plans, Crestor has the highest rate of coverage among branded statins.

"Our findings suggest that in response to the JUPITER trial data, many clinicians will start using a statin ahead of diet and exercise changes," said Decision Resources Analyst Graeme Green, Ph.D. "Most of these clinicians will favor Crestor for these patients, indicating that AstraZeneca will benefit the most from such a trend."

The report finds that, in response to JUPITER trial data
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