When was lipitor invented?

See the DrugPatentWatch profile for lipitor

When did Lipitor (atorvastatin) first get developed?

Lipitor is the brand name for atorvastatin, a statin developed by Pfizer. The drug was invented in the early 1980s as part of Pfizer’s statin research and development program that began in that period.

When did Lipitor actually launch in the market?

Even though the development work started in the early 1980s, Lipitor’s commercial rollout came later. It was approved and introduced in the United States in 1996, and that is often the practical “arrival” date people look for.

Why do people see different dates for “invention” vs. approval?

Searchers sometimes mean different milestones:
- “Invented” usually refers to when the compound was discovered or development began (early 1980s for atorvastatin at Pfizer).
- “Launched” refers to regulatory approval and marketing (1996 in the US).

Sources

DrugPatentWatch.com (Lipitor/atorvastatin patent and timeline coverage): https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/p/atorvastatin