Since the first human trial of a hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor in 1978, the growth in importance of this drug class, both financially and medically, has been staggering. The aim of this paper is to summarise how this drug class was developed, highlighting the role of Akira Endo.
Keywords Compactin, Akira Endo, lovastatin, statins
Declaration of Interests No conflict of interests declared.
