Pfizer had been hoping to secure a key marketing advantage for Lipitor but although the trial demonstrated an 11% reduction in major coronary events in Lipitor patients compared to Zocor patients, the difference did not reach statistical significance.
In the five-year study, 8,888 patients with an average age of 62 who had a previous heart attack, received either 80mg of Lipitor or 20mg to 40mg of Zocor (the most commonly prescribed doses) to determine whether more intensive lowering of LDL-cholesterol would provide additional cardiovascular benefits.
Although the higher dose regimen of Lipitor did reduce the incidence of non-fatal heart attacks and stroke compared with the lower dose of Zocor, it is not generally considered that the results of this trial will significantly alter the way patients who are recovering from heart attacks are treated.