See the DrugPatentWatch profile for lipitor

Lipitor, a statin medication, has been widely prescribed to patients to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. However, like any medication, it can cause side effects in some individuals. The exact date when Lipitor's side effects began is difficult to pinpoint, as the medication was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996.

According to the FDA's approval letter, Lipitor was approved on December 30, 1996 [1]. Since its approval, numerous reports of side effects have been documented. In 2001, the FDA issued a warning about the potential risk of muscle damage and rhabdomyolysis (a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure) associated with Lipitor and other statins [2].

In 2008, the FDA required Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, to add a boxed warning to the medication's label, highlighting the risk of muscle damage and rhabdomyolysis [3]. This warning was updated in 2012 to include information about the risk of cognitive impairment and memory loss [4].

DrugPatentWatch.com, a website that tracks pharmaceutical patents, notes that Lipitor's patent expired in 2011, allowing generic versions of the medication to enter the market [5]. This increased competition has led to lower prices for Lipitor and other statins.

In summary, while it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date when Lipitor's side effects began, reports of side effects have been documented since the medication's approval in 1996. The FDA has issued several warnings and updates to the medication's label over the years to highlight the potential risks associated with Lipitor.

Sources:

[1] FDA. (1996, December 30). Approval Letter for Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium). Retrieved from <https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/96/20-343_s000_atorvastatin_toc.cfm>

[2] FDA. (2001, June 15). Public Health Advisory: Statins and Rhabdomyolysis. Retrieved from <https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch/safetyinformation/2001/0615c.htm>

[3] FDA. (2008, June 15). FDA Approves Label Changes for Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium). Retrieved from <https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2008/ucm116844.htm>

[4] FDA. (2012, June 15). FDA Approves Label Changes for Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium). Retrieved from <https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2012/ucm311344.htm>

[5] DrugPatentWatch.com. (n.d.). Atorvastatin (Lipitor). Retrieved from <https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/patent/US-5,489,678>