The eDrugSearch Blog » Lipitor

Save money on popular meds as they go generic in 2010

Sarah — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:29:09 +0000

We’re nearing the end of the year, and many people are already in open enrollment for next year’s health coverage, which means it is a great time to plan ahead for your 2010 drug expenditures. No, you can’t know every medication you are going to need, but if you are on a popular, patented maintenance drug such as Lipitor or Cozaar, you’ll be pleased to hear that their patents are expiring in 2010, opening the field for more-affordable U.S. generic versions.

In the meantime, as you do your research, you will see that many are already available as generics, manufactured outside of the U.S. There is usually a considerable cost savings.

Here are all the details of some of the highest-profile drugs that have expiring patents as of the end of 2009, or during 2010 — and how and where to get the generic versions.

ARICEPT (donepezil). Pfizer makes the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor Aricept for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Aricept is scheduled to lose patent protection in the U.S. in 2010, but generic versions are already available.

COZAAR (losartan). Merck’s Cozaar is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, used to treat hypertension. Cozaar’s patent protection in the U.S. will expire in 2010. In the meantime, generic losartan is available here.

LEVAQUIN (levofloxacin). Johnson & Johnson’s antibiotic drug Levaquin will outlive its patent protection in 2010. However, until that time, you can purchase generic levofloxacin here.

LIPITOR (atorvastatin). Pfizer has the best-selling drug in the world in Lipitor, which treats high cholesterol. In the US, the basic patent for Lipitor expires in March 2010, while the second patent covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin expires in June 2011. It is not yet clear exactly which date will see widespread availability of generic Lipitor in the U.S., but it is coming. In the meantime, generic atorvastatin is available here.

XENICAL (orlistat). Roche’s Xenical is an obesity treatment that prevents the digestive system from absorbing fats. Its patent expires in December of this year. (Note: In some countries, including the U.S., orlistat is available over-the-counter as GlaxoSmithKline’s Alli.)

VALTREX (valacyclovir). GlaxoSmithKline’s Valtrex is a treatment for herpes simplex and herpes zoster (shingles). Valacyclovir was recently approved for generic production, and so generic versions will be on the U.S. market by the end of 2009. As of this writing, generic valacyclovir is available here.

If you’re interested in the business ramifications for the pharmaceutical companies, CNN ran a good article on the topic, and so did Chemistry World.

Enjoy using EDrugSearch.com to knowledgeably plan your medication choices for the coming year.

Crestor, Lipitor, or Zocor – Which statin is right for you?

Sarah — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:18:22 +0000

A diagnosis of high cholesterol can be intimidating, but there is a lot you can do to control this condition. In addition to modifying your diet and upping your exercise, the addition of a HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor — a class of drugs commonly called “statins” — can safely and effectively lower your cholesterol. (HMG-CoA Reductase helps our liver produce cholesterol; when the chemical is inhibited, the amount of cholesterol is correspondingly reduced.) For people with heart disease, statins can lower the risk of a cardiac event and subsequent death. If you and your doctor have determined that you need a statin, how can you pick the right statin for your needs?

There are six statins on the market: atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin. They differ in their ability to reduce cholesterol, and they also differ in their rates of reducing heart attacks. Their costs are also quite different — and since most people take statins for a long time, the costs add up over the years. With all of these variables, choosing the right statin for you can be complex.

All statins are capable of lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides, and raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol. The statins do differ in how effectively they can do this, and it is highly dose-dependent. Says Drug Digest:

If the needed LDL-C reduction is up to 35-36%, any of the statins should be acceptable choices for therapy. For a desired reduction of LDL-C greater than 42%, simvastatin (Zocor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), or rosuvastatin (Crestor) would be needed.

Indeed, the best-known statins are Crestor, Lipitor, and Zocor (quite probably because they have the greatest effect on cholesterol levels). The latter two are also endorsed by Consumer Reports. Taking evidence for effectiveness, safety, and cost into account, the publication rated both of these statins as “Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs.” They recommend:

• Generic simvastatin (20mg or 40 mg) — if you need 30% or greater LDL reduction and/or have heart disease or diabetes, or if you have had a heart attack or have acute coronary syndrome and your LDL level is not highly elevated.
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor) (40mg or 80mg) — if you have had a heart attack or have acute coronary syndrome and your LDL is highly elevated; use for two years and then reconfirm need or switch to generic simvastatin.

Charts on Drug Digest have some great comparisons. For instance, they show that Lipitor (10-80 mg.) can reduce total cholesterol by 25-45%, while Zocor (5-80 mg.) can reduce the same numbers by 19-36%, and Crestor (5-40 mg.) can reduce it by 33-46%. As for lowering HDL, Lipitor can offer reduction of 5-9%, Zocor lessens HDL by 8-16%, and Crestor lowers these numbers by 8-14%. As you can see, choosing the proper statin has a lot to do with which numbers (Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, or triglycerides) you are trying to effect.

A final consideration is that last year there was reporting on an observational study done by Pfizer that suggested that there were certain benefits to using Lipitor over Crestor. However, one must keep in mind that Pfizer conducted the study, and they are the manufacturer of Lipitor, and they are defending this drug against Merck’s Zocor product, which is now available in a generic formula. Here is the information as presented by The Wall Street Journal:

An analysis, published in the latest Clinical Therapeutics Journal, mined a large database of health-care records and found that patients taking Lipitor had a 12% lower risk of a cardiovascular event than those on simvastatin, the generic name for Zocor. The patients on Lipitor had a 15% lower risk of having a heart attack.

So-called observational studies like this one that look at data after the fact aren’t as powerful as prospective clinical trials. Jack Tu, a cardiologist who specializes in outcomes research at Canada’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, says the latest Pfizer study didn’t take into account factors that could predispose a patient to heart problems, such as smoking and cholesterol levels. “Just on this alone, you wouldn’t recommend that everyone should switch onto Lipitor,” he says.

Still, Pfizer hopes that doctors will take notice. “We’ve done two rather large observational studies and patients have a lower risk of cardiovascular events on Lipitor [compared with] simvastatin,” says Susan Shiff, Pfizer’s team leader for cardiovascular outcomes. “Doctors need to factor this into discussions with patients.”

You should definitely discuss with your physician which statin is right for you. In general, the best plan is to take the LOWEST dose of a statin that gets you to your target level for cholesterol. Overly large doses can be harmful to your liver and to your muscles. If you experience muscle aches and pains when taking a statin, contact your doctor immediately.

Lipitor: 50 million prescriptions can’t be wrong, right?

Cary Byrd — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:46:04 +0000

Lipitor was the most frequently prescribed brand-name drug in the United States last year, with 50 million prescriptions being filled. Vytorin was right up there, with 20 million. Add in all the other statins and you’re up to an amazing 150 million.

As you might expect, we’ve had a fair amount of discussion in the eDrugSearch.com Community about statin drugs, which are used for the treatment of high cholesterol. People are most interested in understanding and comparing the benefits of Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor. Zocor is currently available in generic form in the U.S., but the other two drugs are not.

Vytorin, of course, is on the outs these days after research showed in January that this combination drug (essentially a combination of Zocor and Zetia) is no more effective than generic Zocor alone (simvastin).

One juicy morsel in John McCain’s recently released medical records is that he switched from Vytorin to simvastin after the study came out.

So, of the statins, should you go with Lipitor, Zocor or Crestor? As always, the reaction of individuals to different treatments varies widely, so what often happens is a doctor starts you on one, and if it’s ineffective or you experience side effects, he switches you to another.

Dr. Nicholas Browning provides a nice overview of the benefits of statins in this column in The Union newspaper of Grass Valley, Calif. A recent Houston Chronicle column, however, focuses more on the side effects of these drugs — principally muscle pain and weakness — and says that doctors too often downplay these negatives.

Although your doctor should help you decide which statin to try first, Crestor has been shown to be the most effective statin for lowering LDL cholesterol, followed by Lipitor and then Zocor. However, the side effects for Crestor may be more pronounced in some patients.

Unfortunately, even though your doctor may wish to put you on Crestor or Lipitor, insurance companies often push doctors hard to prescribe generics. We encourage you to use the best drug for you.

Drug commercial parodies — a roundup

Cary Byrd — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:32:33 +0000

As you know, we like to post links to parodies of pharmaceutical commercials. Rather than publish these individually, though, I thought I’d provide all these links in a single roundup post. Here are some popular parodies of current drug ads — one for each drug. (Be warned that some of them are a little off-color.) Enjoy!

Lipitor ads: Worse lip-synching than Britney Spears?

Cary Byrd — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:47:21 +0000

For about a year and half now, Dr. Robert Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart, has been a paid endorser for the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. Pfizer keeps using Jarvik despite his being branded a “fop” who goes over like a lead balloon by the all-powerful John Mack. He’s also been called “Gollum-y” by Dr. Michael Eades. And NBC has questioned whether his medical credentials are all they’re hyped up to be.

But there’s something else that bugs us about Jarvik’s commercials: the audio track. Is it just me, or does it sound like Jarvik’s lines have been dubbed over later rather than recorded along with the video? It’s creepy.

Lipitor sales take a nosedive; Pfizer stock follows

Cary Byrd — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 04:40:08 +0000

Pfizer took a pounding in the stock market today after announcing poor earnings. The drug giant blamed increased competition from generics and lower than anticipated earnings from Lipitor, it’s bread-and-butter brand. According to Reuters,

The world’s biggest drug maker, whose shares fell more than 3 percent in morning trading, said it earned $1.27 billion, or 18 cents per share in the second quarter. That compares with $2.42 billion, or 33 cents per share, a year earlier…

“I think this is a disappointing result, particularly relative to their first-quarter report,” Leerink Swann & Co. analyst Seamus Fernandez said.

Yep, I think I’d be disappointed.

Splitting pills slashes drug costs

Cary Byrd — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:59:09 +0000

MSN has a helpful article on saving money on your prescription medications by splitting pills:

In pill splitting, patients cut larger-dose tablets in half to double the amount of smaller-dose pills they receive in a single prescription — for example, dividing 40-milligram tablets to create twice as many 20-milligram doses for the same price. And since drug companies and pharmacies don’t usually double the price of medications as the dose doubles, that can mean lower overall per-pill drug costs and fewer drug store co-pays for consumers…

[Cholesterol-reducing] statins tend to be good candidates for splitting, the researchers noted, because they linger in the body for a long time, and any impact splitting might have on their action wouldn’t greatly alter their effects. The authors cautioned, however, that not all pills can be safely split. For example, those that pass through the body rather quickly, or have special time-release coatings, are not good candidates for splitting.

After the six-month randomized trial, 89 percent said they’d be willing to continue splitting their cholesterol medications in exchange for a 50 percent reduction in their prescription co-pays, the study found. A survey returned by 109 health plan members found that 59 percent would be willing to split medications for as little as $5 to $10 in savings per prescription.

Full article here.

Lipitor approved for new uses

Cary Byrd — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:43:34 +0000

Pfizer has received approval to sell the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, its number-one seller, under five new categories. According to reports, Lipitor

is now recommended for use in patients at high risk for cardiovascular conditions because of prior MI, heart surgery, or chest pain with evidence of atherosclerosis and to reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes.

The expanded label for the world’s top-selling prescription drug will also now include its approval for use in reducing the risks of hospitalization for heart failure. Lipitor is the first cholesterol-lowering drug to win approval for reducing such risks.

The approval comes as a result of a five-year study, ‘”Treating to New Targets (TNT),” involving 10,000 patients with heart disease and elevated LDL levels which compared Lipitor at its lowest and highest doses. It was found that patients taking 80 mg of Lipitor had a significant 22% reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events compared with patients taking 10 mg. It was also found that the patients on the higher dose of Lipitor had a significant 26% reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure.

This should provide Pfizer an advantage in Lipitor’s competition with Zocor, Pravachol, Zetia, Vytorin and Crestor.