Pitavastatin (NK-104) is a potent hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor. Pitavastatin inhibits cholesterol synthesis from acetic acid with an IC₅₀ of 5.8 nM in HepG2 cells. Pitavastatin is an efficient hepatocyte low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) receptor inducer. Anti-cancer activity. In Vitro: Pitavastatin inhibits the growth of a panel of ovarian cancer cells, including those considered most likely to represent HGSOC, grown as a monolayers (IC₅₀=0.4-5 μM) or as spheroids (IC50 = 0.6-4 μM)^[4]. 
Pitavastatin (1 μM; 48 hours ) induces apoptosis, evidenced by the increased activity of executioner caspases-3,7 as well as caspase-8 and caspase-9 in Ovcar-8 cells and Ovcar-3 cells^[4].
Pitavastatin (1 μM, 48 hours) caused PARP cleavage in Ovcar-8 cells^[4]. In Vivo: Pitavastatin (59 mg/kg; p.o.; twice daily for 28 days) caused significant tumour regression^[4].