Lovastatin

White to off-white crystalline powder. Soluble in DMSO (20mg/ml), DMF (15mg/ml) or ethanol (20mg/ml). Insoluble in water. Chemical. CAS: 75330-75-5. Formula: C24H36O5. MW: 404.54. Lovastatin is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. Lovastatin is a prodrug, which is hydrolyzed in vivo to the active beta-hydroxy acid open ring form. Mevalonate is a required building block for cholesterol biosynthesis and lovastatin interferes with its production by acting as a reversible competitive inhibitor for HMG-CoA. Lovastatin is an effective anti-hypercholesterolemic agent widely used as a lipid-lowering drug. In addition to lowering blood lipid levels, Lovastatin also has been shown to have anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties.