Mevalonic acid

Mevalonic acid (MVA) is a key organic compound in biochemistry; the name is a contraction of dihydroxymethylvalerolactone.

Drugs like statins (which lower levels of cholesterol) stop the production of mevalonate by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase.

[1] Mevalonic acid is very soluble in water and polar organic solvents.

Mevalonolactone acts to correct statin linked myopathy and limb girdle muscular disease caused by HMG CoA reductase mutation.

Mevalonic acid is the primary precursor of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), that is in turn the basis for all terpenoids.

Mevalonate pathway : The figure doesn't show that the HMG-CoA synthase needs another Acetyl-CoA as Substrate. Moreover, the enzyme that synthesizes mevalonic acid (HMG-CoA reductase) consumes two equivalents of NADH and releases one reduced CoA-SH.