Pfizer drug ‘lowers risk of cardiovascular events’

Pfizer has announced the results of a retrospective assessment of a managed care database in the US of patients administered with its cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium).

The firm reports that, compared to patients taking simvastatin, those taking Lipitor showed a 14 per cent lowering in the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.

Pfizer reports that the analysis was robustly designed to account for differences in the lowering of LDL cholesterol based on differing doses of Lipitor and simvastatin to accurately replicate physician behaviour.

Dr Michael Berelowitz, senior vice-president of the global medical division of Pfizer, said: “This study is significant because it calls into question whether statins should be prescribed interchangeably through simple dose adjustments.”

He recommended that following this analysis, health organisations should conduct their own evaluation of relevant data to check for similar results.

A previous study conducted in the Netherlands found that patients taking Lipitor exhibited a reduction in risk of events of 30 per cent compared to those taking a range of other statins, including cerivastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin.

Last December, the Department of Health reported that the health service could save at least 85 million a year through more efficient prescription of generic statins for the lowering of cholesterol.