Generics of Lipitor, Plavix Coming This Year

Versions of those drugs will be cheaper, but overall Rx costs will rise.

Generic copies of the two best-selling drugs, Lipitor and Plavix, will reach pharmacy shelves this year, providing less-expensive alternatives to lowering cholesterol and preventing blood clots.

The drugs are among six blockbusters that will lose patent protection this year. The others are Levaquin, an antibiotic; Taxotere, a cancer drug; Concerta, for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and Zyprexa, for treatment of schizophrenia.

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Martha Lynn Craver
Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter