Pfizer reports ‘unexpected potent heart benefit’ of Lipitor

Pfizer has announced that Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) at an 80mg dose has shown an unexpectedly strong reduction in myocardial ischemia in chronic stable angina patients.

The company presented these results at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, noting that Lipitor significantly reduced the average number of recorded ischemic events by almost 70 per cent.

Furthermore, the duration of these events was reduced by over 60 per cent form baseline to week 18, with these results sustained until week 26, the end of the trial.

Pfizer reports that 60 per cent of patients administered with Lipitor experienced a complete elimination of ischemic events by the end of the study.

Consequently, patients experienced a decrease in attacks of angina and the need for treatment with nitroglycerin.

Professor John Deanfield, the British Heart Foundation Vandervell Chair of congenital heart disease, said: ” Ischemia is a serious condition in which the collective effect of minor untreated events can lead to a weakening of the heart muscle and the death of heart cells.”

He added that the results seen in the Duaal study were a pleasant surprise for researchers because, at present, statins are not part of the standard of care for angina treatment.

Last month, Pfizer announced that it had sued Ranbaxy Laboratories, claiming that the firm has infringed its patents over Lipitor and another cholesterol drug Caduet (amlodipine and atorvastatin).