Lipitor has 12% lower relative CV risk

Global drugs behemoth Pfizer reports that patients taking its blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin) had a significant 12% lower relative risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event. In a secondary analysis, this figure increased to 15% for having a heart attack and 12% relative risk of revascularization compared to patients taking simvastatin. These differences were evident in patients taking doses of Lipitor or simvastatin that would have been expected to deliver similar low-density lipoprotein reductions (Lipitor 10mg or 20mg or simvastatin 20mg or 40mg). There was no significant difference between the groups in stroke or mini-stroke. As with all observational studies, the findings should be regarded as hypothesis-generating, noted Pfizer.

JoAnne Foody, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said: "given the large number of patients receiving statin therapy, the availability of generic statins, and the clinical and economic burden of cardiovascular events, the results of this observational study could have significant public health implications."