Statin treatment that's worth billions to Pfizer
Lipitor tablets sit in a tray at a Pharmacy. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Friday August 08 2008
LIPITOR, or Atorvastatin to use its clinical name, is one of the most profitable drugs ever developed by the global pharmaceutical industry.
Worth a staggering $12bn (€7.5bn) in 2006 to its developers, US multinational Pfizer, Lipitor heralded a revolutionary new series of treatments for the control of cholesterol.
Known as a "statin" drug, Lipitor works by controlling a special enzyme that controls the production of cholesterol in humans.
As doctors came to recognise its advantages for cardiac and diabetic patients, Lipitor soon became the fastest selling prescribed drug in medical history -- and sparked Pfizer's rivals to rush to develop generic versions.
As the cholesterol treatment market expanded into a multi-billion-dollar business, Pfizer increasingly took to the law courts to defend its drug patents after they were challenged by rivals.
The company then sought to develop a new drug, Torcetrapib, to supplant Lipitor. But this was withdrawn at the late clinical trial stage amid patient safety concerns. Ironically two Cork drug plants -- potentially with the loss of 500 jobs -- were axed as a result of Pfizer shrinking its drug manufacturing operations after withdrawing Torcetrapib.
- Ralph Riegel
