Pfizer's Lipitor reduces heart attack, stroke more than Zocor, economic study says

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., May 12 - Pfizer, Inc said Monday that a new economic analysis that compares outcomes for patients taking Lipitor to those taking Zocor shows that Lipitor patients had greater reductions in heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular procedures.

This provides a cost savings for payors in long-term hospitalizations and surgical costs. The economic analysis examined the results from the Ideal (Incremental Decrease in Endpoints Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering) trial to analyze the cost effectiveness of treatment with Lipitor and Zocor (simvastatin) in Sweden, where Zocor is available generically as simvastatin.

The patients who received Lipitor (80 mg) achieved greater reductions in heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular procedures compared to patients taking standard dose Zocor (20-40 mg), according to a news release.

The results also showed that one out of every six heart attacks, strokes or cardiovascular procedures could be avoided for coronary heart disease patients treated with intensive Lipitor therapy above and beyond those treated with Zocor over 4.8 years, the release said.

These results were then applied to the U.S. health care system, which found that better efficacy was achieved in patients taking Lipitor, at a better overall value, compared to patients on standard Zocor therapy. Also, patients taking Lipitor achieved greater reductions in cardiovascular events, and the system had overall cost savings, compared to patients taking Zocor at the current U.S. price, even when Zocor was discounted by 50%.

Pfizer is an international pharmaceutical company based in New York.

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