Cholesterol medicines are informally referred to as statins, as all of the generic drug names end in "-statin." These drugs block cholesterol synthesis in the liver. They may also be referred to as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, because reductase (an enzyme) is the critical step in cholesterol synthesis. Since 1991, eight statins have been approved for use in the U.S. One was later withdrawn. Three of the seven are now available in the Unites States in generic form.
Lovastatin
The brand name for lovastatin is Mevacor. The key U.S. patent expired in 2001, so lovastatin is available as a generic drug. Mevacor was one of the first drugs to achieve a billion dollars a year in sales. Advicor is a still patent-protected combination of lovastatin and slow-release niacin. The combination goes off patent in 2013.
Pravastatin
The brand name for pravastatin is Pravachol. As with all of the drugs in this list, this is the U.S. brand name. The drug may have different brand names in other countries. The key U.S. patent expired in 2006, so pravastatin is available as a generic drug.
Simvastatin
The brand name for simvastatin is Zocor. The key U.S. patent expired in 2006, so simvastatin is available as a generic drug. Vytorin is a still patent-protected combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe-a cholesterol absorption blocker. The combination goes off patent in 2014.
Cerivastatin
The brand name for cerivastatin was Baycol. Baycol was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2001, before the patent expired. Compared to the other statins, Baycol had a higher risk of causing dangerous muscle breakdown. At least 31 Americans died before sales were halted.
Atorvastatin
The brand name for atorvastatin is Lipitor. Atoravastatin goes off patent in 2011, so it is not yet available as a generic drug. Current worldwide sales exceed $13 billion per year. Once a drug goes off patent it takes 1 to 3 years for generic competition to drive the price down to under 20 percent of the brand-name price.
Fluvastatin
The brand name for fluvastatin is Lescol. Fluvastatin goes off patent in 2012.
Rosuvastatin
The brand name for rosuvastatin is Crestor. Rovastatin goes off patent in 2012.
Pitavastatin
The brand name for pitavastatin is Livalo. Pitavastatin was approved in the U.S. in 2009, making it the most recently approved statin drug. It was approved in Japan in 2003. Livalo goes off patent in the U.S. in 2015.
