FDA APPROVES LIPITOR TO PREVENT HEART ATTACK, STROKE IN TYPE 2 DIABETICS

The FDA has approved Pfizer's cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor as a treatment to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack in diabetic patients, expanding the potential patient population for what is already the world's top-selling pharmaceutical product.

The expanded indication for Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) applies to Type 2 diabetics who have no evidence of heart disease but present other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity or a family history of cardiovascular problems.

The new indication was based on the findings of the Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS), a 2,800-subject study that showed patients taking Lipitor experienced nearly 50 percent fewer strokes than those taking placebo.