Pfizer Quits Over-the-Counter Lipitor Program After Trial Fails
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Pfizer Inc. won’t bring an over-the-counter version of its cholesterol pill Lipitor to the U.S. market, after a trial found that patients couldn’t take the drug correctly without a doctor’s help.
Pfizer’s decision to kill the over-the-counter program ends a years-long effort designed to preserve sales of what was once the New York-based company’s -- and the world’s -- top-selling drug. Since losing patent protection in 2011, Lipitor’s sales have fallen from more than $10 billion a year to $2.06 billion last year.