Cholesterol drug recall may affect hundreds of thousands of patients

WASHINGTON —

If you take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, you may have noticed a flurry of since 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 in the U.S., with over 115 million prescriptions going to more than 29 million Americans.

I am a who has assessed the manufacturing quality of , and , as well as .

This atorvastatin recall is large, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of patients. But it’s only the latest in a that have come to light since 2019.

What pills are being recalled, and why?

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