"Around 20 million Americans take statins to lower their cholesterol. Three of these are available as generics, and Pfizer wants to hang on to its market share," said Williams.
The three generic statins - Simvastatin, Pravastatin, and Lovastatin - cost far less.
"Lipitor is a highly effective drug, and it's one good choice for people who have high levels of LDL cholesterol, or who've had a heart attack, or who have acute coronary syndrome," said Williams. "However, the vast majority of people can get the same protection from a generic statin at less than half the cost."
And although Lipitor's Web site makes a point of saying there is "no generic form of Lipitor," there will be in two years when its patent expires. No doubt that's another reason Pfizer is spending big bucks now to drill its brand name into your head.
Experts point out that generic drugs are essentially the chemical twins of brand name drugs whose patents have expired.
Click here for more information about cost-saving statins.
