--- title: "Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors Template | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medchem-statins/ description: "Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors template: Lovastatin (lactone prodrug), atorvastatin and rosuvastatin with the HMG-CoA-mimicking 3,5-dihydroxy acid…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-10-28 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medicinal-chemistry/) › Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors [Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medicinal-chemistry/)Free # Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors template ![Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors template: Lovastatin (lactone prodrug), atorvastatin and rosuvastatin with the HMG-CoA-mimicking 3,5-dihydroxy acid pharmacophore circled, and how statins block HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting step of cholesterol synthesis.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/download/medchem-statins.svg) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)[Download SVG](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/download/medchem-statins.svg) Free template. Download it, or open it in MolDraw to change it first. Lovastatin (lactone prodrug), atorvastatin and rosuvastatin with the HMG-CoA-mimicking 3,5-dihydroxy acid pharmacophore circled, and how statins block HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting step of cholesterol synthesis. ## What the template shows - A 3,5-dihydroxy acid that mimics the mevaldyl intermediate, on a hydrophobic anchor - Three statins - HMG-like 3,5-dihydroxy acid (lactone in lovastatin) - Lovastatin (lactone prodrug) - fungal (type 1) statin; the δ-lactone opens in vivo to the 3,5-dihydroxy acid - synthetic (type 2): (3R,5R)-dihydroxyheptanoic acid on a pyrrole - (3R,5S,6E)-dihydroxyheptenoic acid; polar sulfonamide, liver-selective - What the pharmacophore mimics - HMG-CoA reductase reduces HMG-CoA to mevalonate with 2 NADPH (via a mevaldyl-CoA hemithioacetal): the committed, rate-limiting step of cholesterol biosynthesis. - The statin dihydroxy acid binds where the HMG part sits: the C-5 OH and C-3 OH and the carboxylate copy the hydroxylated, tetrahedral intermediate; the stereocentres must match (3R,5R in atorvastatin). - The hydrophobic part (decalin, fluorophenyl-pyrrole or -pyrimidine) fills a pocket that opens in the enzyme, so statins bind about 10⁴ times more tightly than HMG-CoA (Kᵢ in the nM range). - Lower liver cholesterol up-regulates LDL receptors, so LDL cholesterol in the blood falls. - Type 1 statins (mevastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin) come from fungi; the lactones are prodrugs hydrolysed to the active acid. - Type 2 statins (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, fluvastatin) are synthetic and carry a 4-fluorophenyl group. - Change the stereochemistry or remove an OH and activity drops by orders of magnitude. - Polar rosuvastatin depends on OATP1B1 uptake into the liver; lipophilic statins enter cells (and muscle) more easily. - Patrick, An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry · every part of this sheet is editable Drawn with 103 atoms, 30 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Patrick, An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, 6th ed., OUP 2017](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780198749691) Textbook ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors template free? Yes. The Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors template is one of the free MolDraw templates: open it in the editor or download it from this page as SVG or PNG and use it in your slides, worksheets and notes. ### Can I edit the Statins: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Are the drug structures accurate? Every structure is checked with RDKit, including its stereocentres, and the sheets follow the medicinal chemistry textbooks listed on each template page. ## More medicinal chemistry templates [**Lipinski rule of five**Free · Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medchem-lipinski-rule-of-five/)[**β-Lactam antibiotics**Free · Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medchem-beta-lactam-antibiotics/)[**NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase**Premium · Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medchem-nsaids-cox/)[**Bioisosteres**Premium · Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medchem-bioisosteres/)[**Prodrugs**Premium · Medicinal chemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medchem-prodrugs/) ## Related pages [**Functional Groups Identification Worksheet**Free printable worksheet](https://www.moldraw.com/educational-materials/functional-groups-identification-worksheet/)[**All Medicinal chemistry templates**6 templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/medicinal-chemistry/)[**All chemistry templates**370 templates in 29 categories](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) MolDraw Pro Download all 370 templates - Export the 291 premium templates as PNG, SVG or PDF - AI chemistry assistant - Structure scanning from images - Cloud save and teaching slides [See Pro plans](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing) Free templates stay free. 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