Lipitor is a brand name for the drug atorvastatin, which belongs to a class of drugs called statins. Statins are commonly used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

According to the drug patent watch website [1], the patent for Lipitor expired in 2011, which means that generic versions of atorvastatin are now available. This competition has led to lower prices for atorvastatin, including generic versions of Lipitor.

GoodRx [2] is a website that compares prices of prescription drugs at different pharmacies. According to their data, the average retail price for atorvastatin is $15.25, which is lower than the average retail prices for other statins such as Crestor, which has an average retail price of $214.18.

A study published in the Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes journal [3] found that the use of generic statins, including atorvastatin, was associated with lower out-of-pocket costs for patients compared to brand-name statins. The study also found that the use of generic statins did not lead to lower medication adherence or worse clinical outcomes compared to brand-name statins.

In conclusion, while Lipitor was once an expensive brand-name statin, the availability of generic versions of atorvastatin has made it a more affordable option for patients. According to GoodRx, atorvastatin is cheaper than many other statins, and a study published in the Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes journal suggests that using generic statins is associated with lower out-of-pocket costs without compromising medication adherence or clinical outcomes.

Sources:
[1] https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/p/tradename/LIPITOR
[2] https://www.goodrx.com/classes/statins
[3] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.116.002985