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Warner-Lambert has finalized its marketing agreement with Pfizer to copromote the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin in the USA and elsewhere.

W-L notes that atorvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, is superior to existing statins as a lipid lowering agent. "With its singular ability to reduce LDL-cholesterol levels by 35% to 60%, atorvastatin offers unprecedented potential to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality due to coronary heart disease," said the company. Moreover, atorvastatin's ability to lower triglycerides by up to 40% advances the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia - a condition where both cholesterol and triglycerides are abnormally high - to monotherapy.

A New Drug Application for atorvastatin was submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a few days ago, and regulatory submissions were also filed this month in Canada, France, the UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and South Africa.