12 April 2004

by Anai Rhoads

AnaiRhoads.org - One of the top selling statins on the market, Lipitor, is but one of many medications reproduced on the black market and sold to unsuspecting consumers.

The makers of the cholesterol-fighting drug have said enough is enough. Targeting the online shop, look4generics.com, Pfizer, Inc. announced a swift and clear-cut lawsuit against the website.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Delaware on Monday, claimed the makers violated Pfizer's trademark and patent by illegally introducing and promoting a similar drug, called Storvas.

Pfizer requests that the makers of Storvas cease from using and referring to Lipitor in their marketing campaigns. According to the latest page for Storvas on www.look4generics.com, the following text was found:

Storvas (Generic Lipitor):

Description

Atorvastatin is a synthetic lipid-lowering agent. It is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase enzyme. This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, an early and rate limiting step in the synthesis of cholesterol. Atorvastatin reduces total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apo B in patients with homozygous and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, non familial forms of hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemias. Atorvastatin also reduces VLDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and produces variable increases in HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1.

Lipitor's generic name is Atorvastatin, but some may assume Storvas is the generic name. The manufacturers of Storvas, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. of India, had no comment.

The likelihood of Pfizer winning the suit appears promising since Storvas has been sold without approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

©2004 AnaiRhoads.org Reproduction must be authorised in writing only, and altering the material and this copyright is prohibited and protected by international law.