Cholesterol drug recall may affect hundreds of thousands of patients

WASHINGTON — This story from The Conversation is by C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

If you take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, you may have noticed a flurry of news coverage since late October 2025 about an extensive recall of thousands of bottles of atorvastatin, the generic version of Lipitor.

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Both generic atorvastatin and brand-name Lipitor contain the same active ingredient, atorvastatin calcium, and are considered bioequivalent by the Food and Drug Administration. This medication is the No. 1-selling drug in the U.S., with over 115 million prescriptions going to more than 29 million Americans.

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