What is Lipitor? Atorvastatin is used along with a good diet to help lower "bad" cholesterol and fats (such as LDL, triglycerides) and increase blood levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL). It belongs to a group of medicines known as "statins". The active ingredient in this medicine is called Atorvastatin. Atorvastatin competitively inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. By preventing the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, statins reduce the production of cholesterol in the liver. Lipitor is used for: • high cholesterol • homozygous inherited high blood cholesterol • heterozygous inherited high blood cholesterol • high levels of triglycerides in the blood • high cholesterol and high triglycerides • elevated levels of triglycerides and cholesterol • treatment to prevent a heart attack. This list is not complete, Lipitor can be used for other diseases. Lipitor was first synthesized in 1985 by Dr. Bruce Roth, a chemist working for the pharmaceutical company Warner-Lambert. Lipitor was first approved in 1997. Although under patent protection, it was the best-selling drug of all time, with global sales exceeding $12 billion a year at one stage. Lipitor, the world's best-selling drug, is produced in Loughbeg.