Lipitor

Hypercholesterolemia

Prevention of CVD

Lipitor Resources

Resources for patients

Consumer information

Contains important product information including warnings, precautions, interactions, and dosing.

Viatris original brand LIPITOR

Tips and tools to help your patients receive Viatris original brand LIPITOR, as well as information about their medication and health

Some insurers limit full-cost coverage for higher-cost interchangeable drugs to patients who meet certain criteria and that, in some instances, documentation from the prescriber is required. There is a possibility that the patient may need to contribute out-of-pocket where those conditions are not met.

Resources for healthcare professionals

Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) e-Guidelines

The CCS offers electronic versions of their major guidelines to help orient your treatment decisions. Visit the dyslipidemia e-Guidelines to see recommendations presently in force, as well as additional tools and resources to help inform your patients about their cardiovascular risk factors.

Canada’s food guide

Managing cardiovascular risk factors includes lifestyle changes, including dietary modifications. This means eating less saturated fats and cholesterol and eating more soluble fibers. Share Canada’s food guide with your patients.


Safety Information

Safety information

Indications and clinical use:
LIPITOR (atorvastatin calcium) is indicated: As an adjunct to lifestyle changes, including diet, for the reduction of elevated total cholesterol (total-C), low-density lipoprotein-C (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein B (apo B), the total-C/high-density lipoprotein-C (HDL-C) ratio, and for increasing HDL-C in hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic conditions, including:

  • Primary hypercholesterolemia (Type IIa);
  • Combined (mixed) hyperlipidemia (Type IIb), including familial combined hyperlipidemia, regardless of whether cholesterol or triglycerides are the lipid abnormality of concern;
  • Dysbetalipoproteinemia (Type III);
  • Hypertriglyceridemia (Type IV);
  • Familial hypercholesterolemia (homozygous and heterozygous). For homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, LIPITOR should be used as an adjunct to treatments such as LDL apheresis, or as monotherapy if such treatments are not available. 
  • An adjunct to diet to reduce total-C, LDL-C, and apo B levels in boys and postmenarchal girls, 10 to 17 years of age, with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, if after an adequate trial of diet therapy the following findings are still present:
  • LDL-C remains ≥ 4.9 mmol/L (190 mg/dL) or
  • LDL-C remains ≥ 4.1 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) and:
  • there is a positive family history of premature cardiovascular disease or
  • two or more other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are present in the pediatric patient

To reduce the risk of myocardial infarction in adult hypertensive patients without clinically evident coronary heart disease but with at least three additional risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as age >55 years, male sex, smoking, type 2 diabetes, left ventricular hypertrophy, other specified abnormalities on electrocardiogram (ECG), microalbuminuria or proteinuria, ratio of plasma total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol >6, or premature family history of coronary heart disease.

LIPITOR is also indicated to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension without clinically evident coronary heart disease but with other risk factors, such as age ≥55 years, retinopathy, albuminuria or smoking.

LIPITOR is indicated to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction in patients with clinically evident coronary heart disease.

Caution with combination therapy with fibrates.

Contraindications:

  • Active liver disease or unexplained persistent elevations of serum transaminases
  • Pregnant and nursing women

Most serious warnings and precautions:

  • Muscle effects: myalgia, myositis, myopathy, including rhabdomyolysis
  • Rare cases of rhabdomyolysis, with acute renal failure secondary to myoglobinuria reported
  • Elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels
  • Severe hypercholesterolemia:Caution in patients who are severely renally impaired, elderly, or are concomitantly being administered digoxin or CYP3A4 inhibitors
  • Hepatic effects:
  • Risk of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
  • Rare postmarketing reports of fatal and nonfatal hepatic failure reported
  • Caution in patients who consume substantial quantities of alcohol and/or have a past history of liver disease

Relevant warnings and precautions:

  • Risk of hemorrhagic stroke in patients with recent stroke or transient ischemic attack
  • Decrease in circulating ubiquinone levels
  • Risk of endocrine dysfunction (monitor as necessary)
  • Patients with severe renal insufficiency
  • Doses greater than 20 mg have not been studied in pediatric patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
  • Initiate treatment in the elderly with lowest dose
  • Hypersensitivity syndrome reported with other β-Hydroxy β-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors
For more information:
Please consult the Product Monograph
for important information relating to adverse reactions, drug interactions, and dosing information which have not been discussed in this piece. The Product Monograph is also available by calling 1-800-463-6001.