Efficacy, Safety, Cost, and Clinical Outcomes after the Switch to Generic Rosuvastatin Compared with Consistent Brand-Name Atorvastatin Treatment.

BACKGROUND

The efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes in patients switching to generic rosuvastatin compared to those taking other brand-name atorvastatin are unclear.

METHODS

Electronic medical records were retrospectively collected from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2020 of patients who switched medication because of hospital policy from brand-name to generic rosuvastatin after March 14, 2018. Only patients who had taken the medication for at least 1 year prior to and 1 year after that date were enrolled. The records of patients who consistently used brand-name atorvastatin during the same period were also collected. The efficacy of lipid control, potential adverse effects, clinical outcomes of major cardiovascular events (MACE), and medical expenses were compared between the 2 groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to balance potential cofounders.

RESULTS

After 1:1 PSM, 592 patients were enrolled in the rosuvastatin and atorvastatin groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in total cholesterol level (-4.38 ± 23.0 vs. -3.72 ± 26.95 mg/dL, p = 0.702), low-density lipoprotein (-2.38 ± 19.89 vs. -2.42 ± 23.63 mg/dL, p = 0.976), or glycated hemoglobin (-0.05% ± 0.7% vs. -0.08% ± 0.76%, p = 0.543). No significant difference was noted in cumulative MACE rate (2.70% vs. 3.89%, log-rank p = 0.265) after the switch date, and each person in the generic group had a 16% average reduction in medical expenses.

CONCLUSIONS

Switching to generic rosuvastatin led to comparable lipid-lowering efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes and lower medical expenses compared with consistently using brand-name atorvastatin.