More than 44 million people around the world have lowered their cholesterol by taking daily doses of the cholesterol drugs he invented 17 years ago, a chemical compound called Atorvastatin calcium or Lipitor. Lipitor is the world’s best-selling drug and if estimates are right in the next few years it could very well become the world's first $10-billion-a-year drug.

In 2002, Lipitor achieved estimated sales of $7.4 billion while commanding a 42% market share in this class of drugs, known as statins. Its closest rival, Merck's Zocor, held 32% of the market.

Lipitor, the world’s best-selling drug, is marketed by Pfizer and has patent protection up to 2009. Lipitor has been producing such high revenues that the generic companies around the world are itching to gain some of the market share. Pfizer has already lost one patent court battle for Lipitor, in the Austrian market.

In US, some 52 million people need medical attention for high cholesterol, but only a third is getting it. As new patients seek out statins, Lipitor could well continue to gain market share and with Lipitor and other statins already in clinical trials for possible use against Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis new markets could well emerge.

Lipitor is the highest income earner for Pfizer. It is predicted to reach over $12 billion of sales in 2005 and much more by end 2006. But after the patent expires in 2009, Pfizer could feel the pressure from generic companies around the world.

In 1996, Warner-Lambert entered into a co-marketing agreement with Pfizer on Lipitor (Atorvastatin calcium), a new entry into the statins class of lipid-lowering agents. Discovered by Parke-Davis Research and introduced in 1997, Lipitor soon became the largest-selling pharmaceutical of any kind worldwide.

Pfizer took over Warner-Lambert by 1999. Pfizer was in complete control of Lipitor and with its aggressive marketing, timing, financial power, direct-to-consumer advertising and its campaign aimed at conveying two simple messages: the first, ‘you don't have to be visibly unhealthy to have dangerously high cholesterol’ and the second, ‘know your number’-that is, the level of bad cholesterol in your blood, Pfizer took the market by storm as since then has been market leaders even though they entered the market late.

If you have any signs of heart disease, Lipitor is proven to reduce the risk of having a heart attack and stroke. And if you’re having a hard time lowering your cholesterol with diet and exercise alone, or, are concerned about heart disease, talk to your doctor about Lipitor.

Lipitor is generally well tolerated and can be taken with many other medicines. Like all medicines, Lipitor may cause side effects in some people. The side effects reported most often are gas, stomach pain, indigestion and constipation. These side effects are usually mild and tend to go away.

Lipitor is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides and Apo lipoprotein B in the blood. It is also used in increasing the levels of LDL (good) cholesterol in the blood.

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Atorvastatin. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. One must ensure that one eats low fat, low cholesterol diet. One should not stop taking Atorvastatin without the doctor’s advice as Atorvastatin may be needed to be taken for a long term treatment.

Author Bio: Kelvin is an associate editor to the website http://www.Lipitorcare.com. The website offers complete information on forms of cholesterol, cholesterol drugs, heart disease etc. We also provide vital information about the numerous Lipitor. Your feed back comment and suggestions will be highly appreciated at Fdoughe@gmail.com.