Pfizer Gives Up on Lipitor

Lipitor may be good for folks for helping lower blood cholesterol, but it is also extremely good at making money. Its manufacturer, Pfizer, raked in $12.9 billion annually at Lipitor’s peak, but those cash-cow days when Lipitor was the world's top-selling prescription drug are long gone. More generally known as Atorvastatin, it became a generic back at the end of November.

When a drug goes generic, drug companies generally give up on it right away and move on to the next thing that can potentially rake in the dough. But Pfizer didn’t want to do that. Lipitor had brought in so much, the company was hoping that it could find a way that it could continue to be a revenue stream, including its Lipitor for You patient program, even though Walmart jumped on the generic version as soon as it could do so. Now, don't bother asking your doctor if Lipitor is right for you.Continue reading...