Glenvastatin (HR780) is a synthetic HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) inhibitor. Like other statins, glenvastatin shows very low systemic bioavailability due to an extensive first pass effect at the intestinal and/or hepatic level. This is a positive trait, since the liver is the target organ for statins. Evidence has been found that glenvastatin protects the vascular endothelium from oxidant stress and inhibits the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells. In rabbits, long-term treatment with glenvastatin reduces the plasma cholesterol level, and decreases the liver cholesterol contents. There are no results of clinical trials for glenvastatin.