Common drug classes (intro)
Medicinal Chemistry Basics · Chemistry
Study notes
Why do statins lower cholesterol? Mechanism. Step 1: Body makes cholesterol via HMG-CoA reductase (rate-limiting enzyme). Step 2: Statins (atorvastatin) mimic HMG-CoA — competitive inhibitors. Step 3: Less cholesterol synthesized → liver pulls LDL from blood. Step 4: Enzyme blocked → cholesterol falls. Targeted inhibition!