AstraZeneca outspent rivals Pfizer and Merck by 30% on consumer advertising for Crestor, helping the drug become the fastest-growing cholesterol treatment, Bloomberg.com reported.AstraZeneca spent $166.5 million on Crestor TV, print and radio promotion to consumers in 2006 to November, the Web site reported, citing data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus. That number compares with $128 million spent by Merck on Vytorin and $104 million spent by Schering-Plough on Zetia. Crestor is taking Pfizer’s Lipitor, the top-selling cholesterol-lowering treatment and the world’s best-selling prescription medicine, with 2006 global sales of $12.8 billion. Pfizer spent approximately $18 million on consumer advertising for Lipitor in 2006 to November, with sales gaining 15% in the third quarter.During the third quarter of 2006, Crestor sales rose 64% to outpace Vytorin, according to Bloomberg.com.