Lipitor (Atorvastatin) News and Research

RSS

Atorvastatin (INN) (Lipitor, Pfizer), is a member of the drug class known as statins, used for lowering blood cholesterol. It also stabilizes plaque and prevents strokes through anti-inflammatory and other mechanisms. Atorvastatin inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-determining enzyme located in hepatic tissue that produces mevalonate, a small molecule used in the synthesis of cholesterol and other mevalonate derivatives. This lowers the amount of cholesterol produced which in turn lowers the total amount of LDL cholesterol. Atorvastatin was first synthesized in 1985 by Bruce Roth while working at Parke-Davis Warner-Lambert Company (now Pfizer). With 2006 sales of US$12.9 billion, Lipitor is the largest-selling drug in the world.

Low blood pressure may increase risk of heart attack and stroke

Data from the Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial presented today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) show that low blood pressure levels may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. These data supplement previous findings from the TNT trial of atorvastatin showing aggressive LDL cholesterol-lowering reduced cardiovascular events.

7 May 2009

Statins for the prevention of dementia

An increasing number of studies show that elevated serum cholesterol levels might be part of the cause of Alzheimer's disease, but a new review of studies says that, even so, the most successful class of cholesterol-lowering medicines will not stave off the condition.

14 Apr 2009

Rockefeller University Hospital opens clinical trial into statin-associated muscle complaints

The most widely prescribed class of drugs in the country, statins have helped millions of people lower their cholesterol and reduce their risk of heart attacks - but their side effects, including muscle pain and cramping, have proven to be something of a sore point for many patients.

14 Apr 2009

New alternative to biopsy detects subtle changes in cancer cells

A drop of blood or a chunk of tissue smaller than the period at the end of this sentence may one day be all that is necessary to diagnose cancers and assess their response to treatment, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

12 Apr 2009

House subcommittee to conduct hearing to discuss strategies to end agreements between brand-name, generic drugmakers, limit number of plans

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Tuesday is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the issue of ending agreements under which brand-name pharmaceutical companies pay generic drugmakers to delay the launch of less costly versions of top-selling medications, the Wall Street Journal reports.

31 Mar 2009

NTRILIPIX (fenofibric acid) in combo with Rosuvastatin calcium shows improvement on key lipids for cholesterol management

Data from a new study showed that Abbott's TRILIPIX (fenofibric acid) delayed-release capsules in combination with rosuvastatin calcium met all of the study's primary endpoints.

29 Mar 2009

Atorvastatin and lovastatin found to be ineffective for breast cancer prevention

Laboratory work in animals showed limited activity when statins were given to prevent breast cancer, according to a report in the February issue of Cancer Prevention Research , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

8 Feb 2009

Statins may treat cerebral cavernous malformation

In a finding that could save thousands of lives a year, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have shown that a blood vessel disorder leading to unpredictable, sometimes fatal, hemorrhagic strokes, seizures, paralysis or other problems is treatable with the same statin drugs that millions of people take to control high cholesterol.

27 Jan 2009

Framingham and National Cholesterol Education Program tools do not accurately predict coronary heart disease

The Framingham and National Cholesterol Education Program tools, NCEP, do not accurately predict coronary heart disease, according to a study performed at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.

6 Jan 2009

Seniors warned about mixing OTC and prescription drugs

According to researchers in the United States about 2.2 million seniors put themselves at high risk for drug interactions - they say many non-prescription medication, which are bought over-the-counter (OTC) can produce a harmful drug interactions.

29 Dec 2008

Statins do not interfere with Rituximab treatment for lymphomas

Statins, drugs widely prescribed to lower cholesterol, do not interfere with a commonly used medication to treat lymphomas, according to a Mayo Clinic study presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Francisco.

8 Dec 2008

Good advice to cut prescription drug costs

Just like saving money on groceries or finding the best deal on gas, smart consumers can cut their prescription drug costs with just a little bit of work, say pharmacists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

3 Dec 2008

Metabolex announces positive results from phase 2 trial of MBX-8025

The Phase 2 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of MBX-8025, both alone and in combination with atorvastatin (marketed as Lipitor(R)), over an 8-week treatment period.

19 Nov 2008

Do statins cause muscle problems?

A Michigan State University researcher is studying whether the most popular class of cholesterol-lowering drugs may cause muscle problems in users.

11 Nov 2008

Experts say thousands at risk for heart disease go unchecked

Australian experts say thousands at risk for heart disease go unchecked and are not getting the drugs which protect them.

15 Sep 2008

Cholesterol lowering drugs may protect against dementia

A new study has found more evidence that the drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol may also offer protection from dementia and memory loss.

29 Jul 2008

Ranbaxy and Pfizer settle on Lipitor patent litigation

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (Ranbaxy), announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Pfizer Inc. to settle most of the patent litigation worldwide involving Atorvastatin (Lipitor), the world's most-prescribed cholesterol-lowering medicine.

19 Jun 2008

Hearing to focus on direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs

Officials for Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Schering-Plough on Thursday will testify at a House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing that Democrats hope will "lay the groundwork for future legislation to tighten controls on drug marketing," the Wall Street Journal reports.

8 May 2008

Lipitor and Celebrex combined may halt prostate cancer

Researchers at Rutgers' Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy have shown that administering a combination of the widely used drugs Celebrex (celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and Lipitor (atorvastatin, a cholesterol lowering drug) stops the transition of early prostate cancer to its more aggressive and potentially fatal stage.

15 Apr 2008

Cancer prevention

Tapping into a growing body of knowledge about the origins and progression of cancer, researchers are now developing and testing new preventive therapies to stop it in its tracks.

15 Apr 2008