What It Is
Atorvastatin belongs to a class of medicines called statins, formally known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, used to manage cholesterol levels in the blood.
What It's Used For
Atorvastatin is generally used to help lower levels of LDL cholesterol, often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood, and to help raise HDL cholesterol, often referred to as "good" cholesterol.
How It Works
Atorvastatin works by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the liver's production of cholesterol. By inhibiting this enzyme, the liver produces less cholesterol internally. In response, liver cells increase the number of receptors on their surface that pull LDL cholesterol out of the bloodstream, which further lowers circulating cholesterol levels beyond the reduction in the liver's own production.
History and Regulatory Status
Atorvastatin was developed by an American pharmaceutical company and was approved for clinical use in the late 1990s, entering a market that already included several earlier statin medicines. Despite arriving after other statins, it went on to become one of the best-selling medicines in history over the following decade, due in part to a strong body of clinical research supporting its effectiveness. Its patent protection expired in the early 2010s, after which it became widely available as a generic medicine and remains one of the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medicines globally.