Lipitor Lawsuit and Side
Effect Information

Lipitor Overview

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is made by Pfizer who has a string of hit drugs to their name: Lyrica (pregabalin), Difulcan (fluconazole), Zithromax (azithromycin), Viagra (sildenafil), Celebrex (celecoxib), Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride), Norvasc (amlodipine) and Aricept (donepezil).

Lipitor is marketed under 12 different names in different countries, and is virtually the success story of the century with US sales sitting at $12.9 billion in 2006. Since Lipitor started turning in reports of severe liver damage and rhabdomyolysis, their sales have dropped to $6 billion for the first quarter of 2007 compared to $6.2 billion during the same quarter in 2006.

Lipitor belongs to a class of drugs called statins whose major function is to lower cholesterol. A Lipitor lawsuit would focus on inadequate warnings to patients taking this drug.

Statins were and still are in huge demand in the US, as over 52 million people face a battle with high cholesterol. Only one-third that number receive treatment for it. The patent on Lipitor is only good until 2010 despite Pfizer asking for a patent extension until 2011. The reason for extending the patent involves possible new markets for Lipitor and other statins in the fight against Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.

Statin research started in Japan in 1971, and eventually made its way to the US in 1975 and to the home of Merck. By 1978 Merck had patented the cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor (lovastatin), the first drug in its class. It wasn't prescribed all that often since doctors weren't sure it was safe, and people were slow to "get" the connection between high cholesterol and heart attacks.

Zocor (simvastatin) was introduced in 1994 with proof from drug trials that it actually made a difference in saving lives. Warner Lambert wanted in on the statin market and succeeded in synthesizing Lipitor in 1985, but didn't realize what they had until the results from trials came in. The results were monumental, and Warner-Lambert asked Pfizer to team up with them to market Lipitor in 1996.

Things were looking good until the FDA started getting reports that people were dying from severe muscle deterioration, liver damage and heart problems. Things have now come full circle with Lipitor - many patients have asked about filing a class action Lipitor lawsuit.

Lipitor Side Effects & Other Problems

Lipitor side effects can include stomach problems, constipation, flatulence, diarrhea, muscle pain, headache, insomnia, joint pain, memory loss, skin rashes, dizziness, severe liver problems and non-functioning muscle fibers inducing muscle weakness.

On the surface some of the side effects don't sound that serious until you actually experience them. For instance the non-functioning muscle fibers translates to muscle breakdown, with the muscle cells dumping their contents into the blood stream. The contents wind up in the liver and cause severe damage or death. Using medical terminology on drug labels doesn't cut it for the average American, as they don't understand what most of them mean.

Lipitor isn't a magic pill although it may have been hailed as one when first introduced to the market. This drug works by inhibiting an enzyme required to make cholesterol in the liver. It also blocks the manufacture of crucial nutrients (CoQ10) that benefit the heart.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices and the Division of Public Health Sciences reviewed the FDA's most dangerous drugs. It found Lipitor to be one of the most dangerous drugs on the market with a staggering number of Lipitor side effects. It ranked as the eighth most dangerous drug with over 6,000 adverse events causing disability or requiring medical attention.

Lawsuits of note against Pfizer have been and are for:

* Depo-Provera (contraceptive injection) - reduces bone mineral density
* Neuronton - epilepsy drug, off label use
* Viagra - class action causing blindness. Pfizer knew but didn't tell people
* Rezulin - diabetic drug, deaths, liver failure, removed from market 2000
* Geodon/Ziprasidone - antipsychotic
* Mirapex - for tremors in Parkinson's disease, makes people obsessive compulsive
* Aspartame - 92 side effects, people were not adequately warned
* Pseudoephedrine - complicit in sales of drug knowing it could be used to make meth
* Zithromax (antibiotic)
* Celebrex (pain killer for arthritis)
* Bextra (pain killer for arthritis) - making false and misleading statements
* Zoloft (for depression, panic, anxiety) - concealed evidence and deceptive marketing
* Chantix - stop smoking medication
* Trovan (used experimentally in Nigeria on children & causing deaths)
* Idamycin (cancer drug)

Lipitor Lawsuits

Statins aren't going anywhere any time soon. Millions of Americans take them and that has made them a remarkable success. Statins such as Lipitor are a quick fix, but for some users they appear to do more harm than good.

If you have taken Lipitor and experienced any of the side effects mentioned in this article, you may be in a position to file a Lipitor lawsuit. Consider contacting an expert drug lawyer to assess your claim.




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