FilesCategory OpenersRecord 059
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Record 059 · Health · 1996
50%96.59.H
Lipitor (atorvastatin)
Warner-Lambert / Pfizer
“A statin so effective it rewrote cardiology practice and Pfizer's P&L.”
Approved 1996. Peak sales ~$13 billion a year before 2011 patent cliff. Demonstrated what a single small molecule can do to a company and a death rate.
$150B+ lifetime sales (estimates vary)
The cholesterol drug that became the best-selling pharmaceutical in history.



