Atorvastatin, marketed under the trade name
Lipitor among others, is a member of the drug class known as
statins, which are used primarily for lowering blood
cholesterol and for prevention of events associated with
cardiovascular disease. Like all statins, atorvastatin works by inhibiting
HMG-CoA reductase, an
enzyme found in
liver tissue that plays a key role in production of cholesterol in the body.