Lipitor was formulated in 1985, went through an expensive and exhaustive trials process which concluded in 1994, and hit the market in 1996. Today it is one of the best selling drugs in the world, has revolutionized heart health, and saves tens of thousands of lives in the US annually.
So was Lipitor’s development and approval process a failure? If you ask some patients and their families who were stuck in the early 90s with hope but no access to the drug, they would probably say so. And I understand the emotions involved, but the truth is that if human civilization has existed without a lifesaving treatment for hundreds of thousands of years, delaying it for a couple more to better under its effectiveness is the right decision for the public good.
So was Lipitor’s development and approval process a failure? If you ask some patients and their families who were stuck in the early 90s with hope but no access to the drug, they would probably say so. And I understand the emotions involved, but the truth is that if human civilization has existed without a lifesaving treatment for hundreds of thousands of years, delaying it for a couple more to better under its effectiveness is the right decision for the public good.