Astra builds up for Crestor campaign

LET battle begin. A 6,500-strong army of salesmen was preparing for one of the biggest marketing campaigns in medical history yesterday after AstraZeneca won approval to launch its cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor in the United States.

The tiny pills, in pink and yellow depending on the dose to be taken, will transform the future prosperity of the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals group.

Crestor is already available in the UK and other European markets, but the big prize is the US, where sales of cholesterol tablets exceed £5bn. The global market is put at £12.5bn.

Analysts predict Crestor could generate sales of £2.2bn within five years. But that will not be achieved without a major struggle.

AZ is braced for a fierce battle with market leader Pfizer, whose cholesterol therapy Lipitor is now the world's most widely prescribed drug.

AZ boss Sir Tom McKillop is planning a massive advertising campaign to launch Crestor. Unlike in the UK where such advertising would be banned, US doctors and consumers will be targeted with information about Crestor and its claims to offer a more effective treatment for lowering dangerous cholesterol levels.

Analyst Stewart Adkins of Lehman Brothers said: 'It is likely to be one of the most expensive launches. I would have thought easily more than $1bn during the initial phase.'

However, pockets of unease remain. German group Bayer was forced to withdraw its cholesterol pill Baycol after it was linked to a number of deaths. Some analysts fear the drugs involved in reducing cholesterol levels are fraught with danger.