A 90% price decrease is letting Government drug funder, PHARMAC, to offer open access to the cholesterol-lowering drug, atorvastatin.

Statins are used by almost 400,000 New Zealanders, in order to help deal with their cholesterol levels. They are significant medicines that help in lowering the risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.

Another statin, named simvastatin, has had open access in New Zealand ever since 2002. This means that any clinician can offer the drug to his patient in prescription, taking into account the New Zealand Cardiovascular Guidelines.

The limitations that at present apply to atorvastatin will be taken off from 1 September 2010, following the conclusion of patent protection for the Lipitor brand.

PHARMAC Medical Director, Dr. Peter Moodie says that almost 60,000 New Zealanders already take atorvastatin, so as to control their cholesterol, and this is probable to increase with the easy access.

Since, the price has seen a reduction to almost the same level as simvastatin, it is hoped that more people will take this medicine and those people will have a lower cardiovascular risk profile than the people taking atorvastatin at present.

Statins stay to be the international foundation in the fight against cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, following continuing clinical tests demonstrating their efficiency.