Actavis launches generic Lipitor in the UK

Actavis has announced the UK and Ireland launch of a generic version of Pfizer's blockbuster cholesterol treatment Lipitor.

The release of Atorvastatin took place on the same day that Pfizer's patent expired and represents one of Actavis' biggest launches ever, reflecting Lipitor's status as the top-selling drug in the world.

Sales of the branded version came to more than $9.1 billion (5.75 billion pounds) in 2011, according to IMS Health data, with the drug proving to be one of the most effective available treatments of primary hypercholesterolemia.

Manufactured at the company's zero-carbon-footprint Hafnarfjordur site, the generic version has been introduced in a number of European nations this month, including Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Atorvastatin has been marketed by Actavis in Iceland and at least 15 other patent-free European countries for more than four years.

Last month, the company announced that it is being acquired by Watson Pharmaceuticals, creating the third largest global generics firm in the world.