Most of us are aware that cholesterol levels in the blood have to be optimum for good heart health. As an important progress on this front, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic form of cholesterol-lowering medication namely Lipitor. This drug is manufactured by Ranbaxy who have gained approval to develop the generic pills in 10, 20, 40 and 80mg values.
This medicine also called Atorvastatin is a statin that shrinks cholesterol levels in the body by impeding an enzyme existing in the liver. It is usually accompanied by intake of a low-fat diet in order to low the LDL cholesterol proportions in the blood. It could also raise HDL cholesterol in the blood, thus leading to less risk for stroke, heart attack, chest pain and heart surgeries.
“This medication is widely used by people who must manage their high cholesterol over time, so it is important to have affordable treatment options. We are working very hard to get generic drugs to people as soon as the law will allow,†remarked Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
This drug is applicable to those who are suffering from heart disease as well as those with possible risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and so on. The commonly observed side-effects of Lipitor included nasal passage inflammation, diarrhea, joint pain and urinary tract infections.
The generic form of atorvastatin calcium tablets will be manufactured by Ohm Laboratories in New Brunswick, N.J.