Akira Endo, a Japanese biochemist was awarded the Laskert Prize 2008 for biomedical research. In the early 1970’s Endo examined thousands of compounds isolated from fungi and eventually identified a potent cholesterol-lowering substance that antagonized HMG-CoA reductase, decreasing cholesterol biosynthesis. These studies led to the development of pharmacological agent, statin, which was efficient to decrease cholesterol levels in blood which in turn was beneficial for treatment of atheroesclerosis. The use of statins has become widely accepted as medical treatment of hypercholesterolemia and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Key words: Cholesterol, statins, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease.