Counterfeit Lipitor: Pfizer urges UK govt, EU action including a repackaging ban
World-leading drugmaker Pfizer has called on the UK government and the European Union to take action to safeguard the integrity of the drug supply chain, after counterfeit Lipitor (atorvastatin) was discovered in the UK.
Lipitor 20mg batch number 004405K1 was recalled by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency after it was found to contain fake versions of Pfizer's cholesterol-lowering blockbuster product. Initial tests by the agency indicated that the counterfeit material posed no immediate risk to patients.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said that, while the discovery appeared to be an isolated incident and was only the fourth such case in the UK in the last 10 years, the industry would back a further tightening of the supply system for medicines.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
Free
7 day trial access
- All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
- Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
- Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.
Become a subscriber
£820
Or £77 per month
- Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
- Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
- Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
- Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
- Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
Today's issue
Company Spotlight
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2025 | Headless Content Management with Blaze