Pfizer to sell Lipitor directly by mail

NEW YORK — Pfizer is looking to sell its top-selling cholesterol drug directly to consumers at a greatly reduced price after the patent expires, according to published reports.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer would partner with health plans to sell Lipitor (atorvastatin) directly to consumers through the mail when the drug's patent expires at the end of the month, opening the drug to generic competition.

Lipitor has sales of more than $7 billion a year in the United States, according to IMS Health, but Pfizer's sales are likely to take a dip when India's Ranbaxy Labs launches its long-awaited generic version.

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