simvastatin

English

Chemical structure of simvastatin

Etymology

Probably from sim- (“alteration of synthetic”) +‎ -vastatin (“HMG CoA reductase inhibitor”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪm.vəˌstæt.n̩/, /ˌsɪm.vəˈstæt.n̩/
• Rhymes: -ætən

Noun

simvastatin (countable and uncountable, plural simvastatins)

1. (pharmacology) A semisynthetic drug C₂₅H₃₈O₅ that decreases the level of cholesterol in the bloodstream and is derived from a compound produced by a mold (Aspergillus terreus).
   • 2011 June, Ma Rosa Boleda, Ma Teresa Galceran, Francesc Ventura, “Behavior of pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) using combined conventional and ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (UF/RO) treatments”, in Environmental Pollution, volume 159, number 6, →DOI, pages 1584-1591:

     The last compound, gemfibrozil is the sole antilipidemic compound found (up to 3 ng/L) in a USA survey of 18 DWTPs whereas atorvastatin, simvastatin and their metabolites, the other studied compounds, were absent (Benotti et al., 2009). In our study, the two statins identified at the intake of the DWTP were eliminated by dioxychlorination (>99%) whereas bezafibrate, clofibric acid and gemfibrozil were only moderately removed with percentages of 37%, 68% and 11%, respectively although it has been reported that gemfibrozil and clofibric acid are readily oxidized with chlorine dioxide in spiked drinking water whereas bezafibrate remains unchanged (Huber et al., 2005a).

References

• “simvastatin”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.