What is "atorvastatin"

n. (context medicine English) A statin used to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood.

n. an oral drug (trade name Lipitor) that is effective in lowering triglycerides; potent in reducing LDL cholesterol because higher doses can be given [syn: Lipitor]

Atorvastatin, marketed under the trade name Lipitor among others, is a member of the drug class known as statins, which are used primarily as a lipid-lowering agent and for prevention of events associated with cardiovascular disease. Like all statins, atorvastatin works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme found in liver tissue that plays a key role in production of cholesterol in the body.

The synthesis of atorvastatin took place in August 1985 at Warner-Lambert's Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan. by Bruce Roth, leading a team of 18 scientists researching atherosclerosis. From 1996 to 2012 under the trade name Lipitor, atorvastatin became the world's best-selling drug of all time, with more than US$125 billion in sales over approximately 14.5 years.