Evaluation of Lovastatin in Severe Persistent Asthma

Inclusion Criteria: * Age \> 18 years to \<65 years * Severe persistent asthma (per 2002 National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines) * Treatment with daily fluticasone (500 ug BID) and salmeterol (50 ug BID) during the past 4 or more weeks * Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 \<80% predicted * Post-bronchodilator improvement in FEV1 of at least 12% and 200 mL or a PC20 to methacholine of \<8 mg/mL * Evidence of inadequate asthma control in the past 2 weeks: use of rescue inhaler \> 4 days and \>8 occasions in the past 2 weeks, daytime asthma symptoms \> 4 days in the past 2 weeks, or 1 or more nocturnal awakening in the past 2 weeks * No evidence of alternate diagnosis (e.g., sarcoidosis, eosinophilic pneumonia) on bronchoscopy performed as part of routine care in the Refractory Obstructive Lung Disorders clinic. * Completed research bronchoscopy while on current dose of daily fluticasone and salmeterol within 4 weeks of meeting other inclusion criteria. Note: many patients in the ROLD clinic require a bronchoscopy to confirm the diagnosis of asthma and exclude other diagnosis (e.g., sarcoidosis). These patients are asked to participate in a research protocol (separate from this proposal) that allows investigators to collect additional samples (endobronchial biopsies, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, endobronchial brushings) at the end of the clinical portion of the bronchoscopy {IRB protocol # 15361A entitled, "Airway inflammation in refractory obstructive lung disease (ROLD): understanding markers of inflammation and remodeling"}. This protocol was recently submitted to the IRB in March 2007. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy or lactation * Severe metabolic disease * Other respiratory or inflammatory disorders (sarcoidosis, emphysema) * Hypokalemia, dehydration * Uncontrolled seizure disorder ( 2 or more seizures in last year) * Major surgery, trauma * Pre-existing liver disease (AST or ALT \>10% above the upper limit of normal) * Elevated CK (\>50% above the upper limit of normal) * History of alcohol abuse * Current smokers or ex-smokers with \> 10 pack-years of smoking * Partial ileal bypass surgery * Concurrent treatment with drugs known to be have potential interactions or associated with rhabdomyolysis (Cimetadine, danazole, delavaridine, diltiazem, fenofiibrate, nefazodone, niacin, protease inhibitors, quinipristoline/dalfopristin, ranolazine, rifampin, telbivudine, telithromycin) * HIV patients taking protease inhibitors * History of allergy or intolerance to statin * Use of 1 or more doses of any cholesterol lowering medication in the previous 12 weeks * Clinical indication for treatment with statins