fenofibrate vs rosuvastatin
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Side-by-side comparison of fenofibrate and rosuvastatin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Fenofibrates (e.g., fenofibrate and fenofibric acid) Clinical Impact: Fibrates may cause myopathy when given alone.
TriCor, Antara
Crestor
Fenofibrate is a medicine that helps lower bad cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in your blood, while raising good cholesterol.
Rosuvastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol. It helps to reduce the risk of heart problems and stroke.
This medicine is used with a diet to treat high cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides (fats) in the blood. It helps adults who have primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia. It can also treat adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia. However, fenofibrate has not been proven to prevent heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
Rosuvastatin is used to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) in adults and children. It can also slow down the hardening of arteries in adults. This medicine also treats high triglycerides and certain inherited cholesterol disorders.
Fenofibrate is a type of drug called a PPAR alpha agonist. It works by activating a protein in your body that helps break down fats and cholesterol. This leads to lower levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and higher levels of good cholesterol.
Rosuvastatin belongs to a class of drugs called statins. It works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower your cholesterol levels.
- • Abnormal liver function tests
- • Increased ALT (a liver enzyme)
- • Increased AST (a liver enzyme)
- • Increased CPK (a muscle enzyme)
- • Runny nose
- • Headache
- • Nausea
- • Muscle pain
- • Weakness
- • Constipation
- Nausea 2,912
- Fatigue 2,840
- Diarrhoea 2,681
- Dyspnoea 2,099
- Headache 2,058
- Fatigue 11,700
- Nausea 10,039
- Dyspnoea 9,208
- Diarrhoea 9,198
- Myalgia 8,784
Fenofibrate can cause liver problems. Your doctor should check your liver function with blood tests before you start taking it and regularly while you are taking it. Stop taking fenofibrate and tell your doctor right away if you have signs of liver problems, such as yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, or stomach pain. Fenofibrate can also cause muscle pain or weakness, especially if you are also taking a statin medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness.
Rosuvastatin can cause muscle problems, including muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. Tell your doctor right away if you have these symptoms, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. Rosuvastatin can also cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before and during treatment.
It is not known if fenofibrate will harm an unborn baby. You should only use fenofibrate during pregnancy if your doctor decides that the benefit outweighs the risk. You should not breastfeed while taking fenofibrate.
Do not take rosuvastatin if you are pregnant. It can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about other ways to control your cholesterol during pregnancy. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking rosuvastatin.
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How to Read This fenofibrate vs rosuvastatin Comparison
fenofibrate is classified in the Fibrate drug class, while rosuvastatin sits within the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, fenofibrate has 12,590 submissions while rosuvastatin has 48,929. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these medications can cause muscle damage as a side effect. taking them together increases the risk of developing muscle pain or weakness.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for fenofibrate or rosuvastatin.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.