Lipitor (Atorvastatin) News and Research

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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.

Reduced progression of atherosclerosis tied to statin drugs lowering fats, protein

Aggressive therapy with statins -- drugs that inhibit cholesterol synthesis -- works better than moderate statin therapy in reducing fats and proteins in the blood that have been linked to atherosclerosis, a new multi-center study concludes. Statins’ effects on both complex compounds appear beneficial in cutting patients’ cardiovascular risks.

6 Jan 2005

Excellent news for the many people who suffer from high blood pressure

An international trial comparing blood-pressure lowering treatments has been stopped early due to the significantly better performance of one of the treatments in the trial.

8 Dec 2004

Patients taking the lipid-lowering medications have a relatively low risk of developing rhabdomyolysis

Patients taking the lipid-lowering medications atorvastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin to reduce cholesterol levels, have a relatively low risk of developing rhabdomyolysis, (a disorder that causes the breakdown of muscle), according to a new study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.

23 Nov 2004

Atorvastatin slows down mental decline and improves depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease

The cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin slowed down mental decline and improved depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a small pilot study reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

11 Nov 2004

Cholesterol-lowering drugs can interact with grapefruit juice and increase the risk of the drugs' potential side-effects

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recently issued prescribing advice reminding healthcare professionals that certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, namely Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin), can interact with grapefruit juice and increase the risk of the drugs' potential side-effects.

4 Nov 2004

High-dose statin therapy for aggressive cholesterol-lowering outperforms typical care

Patients treated with high doses of atorvastatin had about a one percent lower annual rate of heart attacks than similar patients receiving usual care, according to a new study in the Nov. 2, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Nov 2004

Do cholesterol-reducing drugs decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes in diabetics?

International researchers will, for the first time, present findings from the landmark 4D trial about whether a cholesterol-reducing drug decreases the risk of heart attacks and strokes with type 2 diabetics on dialysis at the American Society of Nephrology’s 37th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri.

1 Nov 2004

First U.S. program to allow citizens to purchase lower cost, safe prescription drugs from Europe and Canada

Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) were joined in Chicago today by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle to launch the new I-SaveRx prescription drug importation program -- the first program in the nation to allow citizens to purchase lower cost, safe prescription drugs from Europe and Canada.

4 Oct 2004

Drug companies and FDA crack down on Canadian drug importation to protect profits

With an election on the horizon, and Canadian pharmacies proving to be as safe as U.S. counterparts, the Food and Drug Administration and big pharma are increasing efforts to prevent Canadian drug importation.

26 Sep 2004

Pfizer files lawsuits against eighteen internet sites for selling illegal copies of LIPITOR

Pfizer has filed lawsuits against a second group of operators of eighteen internet sites for selling unapproved and illegal copies of Pfizer’s leading cholesterol medicine, LIPITOR®, the company said today.

2 Sep 2004

No benefit from early PCI/CABG in high risk unstable angina patients

Patients with chest pain are recognized as being at high risk of subsequent adverse cardiac events when their plasma levels of cardiac troponin are elevated as evidence of myocardial damage.

29 Aug 2004

Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy reduces artery-clogging plaque

Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome appears to reduce artery-clogging plaque, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Aug 2004

People with type 2 diabetes could benefit from atorvastatin

Results of a randomised trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that people with type 2 diabetes could benefit from cholesterol-lowering therapy with statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, even when they do not have high cholesterol concentrations.

20 Aug 2004

Approval of cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor for the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Pfizer has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease by reducing heart attack risk in people with normal to mildly elevated cholesterol levels who have other cardiovascular risk factors.

5 Aug 2004

Prescription drugs from bogus Canadian website are all fake

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analysis of three commonly prescribed drugs purchased from a Web site advertised as Canadian showed that so-called "Canadian Generics" bought from the Web site were fake, substandard and potentially dangerous.

15 Jul 2004

Pfizer focuses on enabling America's 43 million uninsured to obtain medicines at significant savings

Pfizer Inc said today it will launch the pharmaceutical industry's most comprehensive initiative to significantly expand access to prescription medicines across the United States, with a specific focus on enabling America's 43 million uninsured to obtain Pfizer medicines at significant savings.

7 Jul 2004

Statins could be effective in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

Results of a UK study in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of statins (a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs) could be effective in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

17 Jun 2004

Lovastatin and Simvastatin have a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer

Men who take even small amounts of common cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lovastatin and Simvastatin have a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers.

9 Jun 2004

Treatment with atorvastatin cut incidence of stroke by almost a half

Patients with Type 2 diabetes and a CV risk factor would benefit from a cholesterol-lowering medicine according to results from the first ever specifically designed UK primary prevention statin trial announced today at the American Diabetes Association (ADA)2.

7 Jun 2004

Pfizer targets five internet sites for selling an unapproved copy of Pfizer's top selling cholesterol medicine, Lipitor

Pfizer has filed lawsuits against the operators of five internet sites for selling an unapproved copy of Pfizer's top selling cholesterol medicine, Lipitor, the company said today.

4 May 2004