Post date: Dec 28, 2010 7:9:43 PM
Brazilian researchers say they have developed a method of producing a much less expensive version of Pfizer's blockbuster cholesterol-fighting drug Lipitor, known generically as atorvastatin. With Pfizer's patent protection on Lipitor in Brazil due to expire on Tuesday (December 28, 2010), the researchers say their discovery will help poorer populations stay healthier by making the drug more affordable.
CAMPINAS AND RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Scientists at Sao Paulo's Unicamp University say their method of producing the active ingredient in Lipitor, will have implications for countless people in the developing world with heart problems caused by high cholesterol.
The ingredient is called atorvastatin and it works by inhibiting a cholesterol-producing enzyme in the liver. Lower cholesterol levels in the blood usually translate to more efficient blood-flow and a healthier heart. For Pfizer, Lipitor has generated billions of dollars but in poorer nations, the drug has been too expensive and therefore unavaliable to most people.Unicamp University chemist Luiz Carlos Dias says he and his team now have the means to dramatically reduce the costs of production.
UNICAMP CHEMIST, LUIZ CARLOS DIAS, SAYING:
"Up to a certain stage, we improved the route developed by Pfizer. As of that intermediate point, we prepared atorvastatin through an entirely new sequence, different from the one being used to develop it. This new sequence is extremely important because we can get a patent for this new process, since it involves agents never before used, and the process to make this active ingredient ended up being shorter, more efficient."
The chemists say they have managed to eliminate nearly thirty percent of the processes Pfizer uses to produce atorvastatin. They say the lower production costs, should lead to a lower price and wider availabity.
UNICAMP CHEMIST, LUIZ CARLOS DIAS, SAYING:
"If we manage to prepare these raw materials or these active principals here in Brazil, not only will the end price be lower for the Brazilian consumer, but we will also be able to export this. I gave an example citing South American countries, but certainly this may be sold and exported to the entire world."
The scientists are now waiting for appoval from Brazil's food and drug agency, before their formula can be used on an industrial scale. Dias says he hopes it won't take too long as theres an enormous population who could live longer as a result.
Rob Muir, Reuters.