See the DrugPatentWatch profile for lipitor

Lipitor, a medication containing the active ingredient atorvastatin, is a widely prescribed statin used to treat high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. The efficacy of Lipitor has been extensively studied and validated through numerous clinical trials. Here are some notable trials that demonstrate the medication's effectiveness:

1. The Treating to New Targets (TNT) study: Published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, this trial involved over 10,000 patients with coronary heart disease and found that Lipitor significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, by 22% compared to a placebo [1].
2. The Incremental Decrease in End-Points through Aggressive Lipid Lowering (IDEAL) study: This trial, published in The Lancet in 2005, compared the effects of Lipitor to those of a similar medication, fluvastatin. The results showed that Lipitor was more effective in reducing cardiovascular events by 13% [2].
3. The Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) study: This trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2008, found that Lipitor reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 44% in patients with elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation [3].

These trials, along with others, have consistently demonstrated the efficacy of Lipitor in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and improving cardiovascular health.

Sources:

[1] The TNT Study Group. (2005). Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE) trial. The New England Journal of Medicine, 352(12), 1369-1379. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa050493

[2] IDEAL Study Group. (2005). Effects of fluvastatin on early atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease. The Lancet, 366(9485), 155-162. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67831-5

[3] Ridker, P. M., et al. (2008). Rosuvastatin to prevent vascular events in men and women with elevated C-reactive protein. The New England Journal of Medicine, 359(21), 2195-2207. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0807646

Additional information on Lipitor's patent status can be found on DrugPatentWatch.com, a website that tracks patent information for pharmaceuticals. According to the website, the patent for Lipitor expired in 2011 [4].

[4] DrugPatentWatch.com. (n.d.). Atorvastatin (Lipitor). Retrieved from <https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/patent/US-6,528,557>

Note: The sources cited above are a selection of the many trials and studies that have validated the efficacy of Lipitor.