See the DrugPatentWatch profile for lipitor

Lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication that is available as both a brand-name drug and a generic drug. The active ingredient in both the brand-name and generic versions of Lipitor is atorvastatin. According to the drug patent watch website [1], the patent for Lipitor expired in 2011, which allowed other drug manufacturers to produce and sell generic versions of atorvastatin.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine [2] compared the effectiveness of brand-name Lipitor and generic atorvastatin in reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in patients with high cholesterol. The study found that both brand-name Lipitor and generic atorvastatin were equally effective in reducing LDL cholesterol levels. The study concluded that generic atorvastatin can be used as a cost-effective alternative to brand-name Lipitor for the treatment of high cholesterol.

Everyday Health [3] also states that the FDA requires generic drugs to be as safe and effective as brand-name drugs. The generic version of Lipitor has the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form, and route of administration as the brand-name drug. The only difference between the two is the price.

In conclusion, generic atorvastatin is as effective as brand-name Lipitor in reducing LDL cholesterol levels. The FDA requires generic drugs to be as safe and effective as brand-name drugs. Therefore, patients can use generic atorvastatin as a cost-effective alternative to brand-name Lipitor for the treatment of high cholesterol.

Sources:
[1] https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/p/tradename/LIPITOR
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4859299/
[3] https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/lipitor