Two medicines, side by side
Atorvastatin vs clopidogrel
Atorvastatin and clopidogrel are both labeled for angina and heart attack and coronary artery disease. Drugs@FDA records approvals of atorvastatin since 1996 and of clopidogrel since 1997. Pharmacies paid $0.0228 per atorvastatin 10 mg tablet and $0.0472 per clopidogrel 75 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Atorvastatin's other strengths are brand-only: $1.23 per mL (Atorvaliq 20 mg/5 mL suspension). In FDA's classes, atorvastatin is a hmg-coa reductase inhibitor and clopidogrel a p2y12 platelet inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the atorvastatin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 15, 2024); the clopidogrel FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 30, 2025).
Highlights of the atorvastatin record
Atorvastatin (Lipitor) · label of April 15, 2024
Used for
From the label: indicationsLIPITOR is indicated: • To reduce the risk of: o Myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, revascularization procedures, and angina in adults with multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) but without clinically evident CHD o MI and stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with multiple risk factors for CHD but without clinically evident CHD o Non-fatal MI, fatal and non-fatal stroke, revascularization […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 17, 1996
- Generic labelers
- 59 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0228 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 53
Highlights of the clopidogrel record
Clopidogrel (Plavix) · label of May 30, 2025
DIMINISHED ANTIPLATELET EFFECT IN PATIENTS WITH TWO LOSS-OF-FUNCTION ALLELES OF THE CYP2C19 GENE WARNING: DIMINISHED ANTIPLATELET EFFECT IN PATIENTS WITH TWO LOSS-OF-FUNCTION ALLELES OF THE CYP2C19 GENE See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Effectiveness of Plavix depends on conversion to an active metabolite by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, principally CYP2C19. ( 5.1 , 12.3 ) Tests are available to identify patients who are CYP2C19 poor metabolizers.
Used for
From the label: indicationsPlavix is a P2Y 12 platelet inhibitor indicated for: Acute coronary syndrome – For patients with non–ST-segment elevation ACS (unstable angina [UA]/non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI]), Plavix has been shown to reduce the rate of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. ( 1.1 ) – For patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), Plavix has been shown to reduce the rate of MI and stroke. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 17, 1997
- Generic labelers
- 35 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0472 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 6
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Atorvastatin label of April 15, 2024, Clopidogrel label of May 30, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do atorvastatin and clopidogrel differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, atorvastatin is a hmg-coa reductase inhibitor and clopidogrel a p2y12 platelet inhibitor.
How each works, in its label's words: Atorvastatin, “LIPITOR is a selective, competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme that converts 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A to mevalonate, a precursor of sterols, including …”; Clopidogrel, “Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Atorvastatin, “Mean plasma elimination half-life of LIPITOR in humans is approximately 14 hours, but the half-life of inhibitory …”; Clopidogrel, “After a single, oral dose of 75 mg, clopidogrel has a half-life of approximately 6 hours.”
Only the clopidogrel label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: atorvastatin since 2011; clopidogrel since 2008 (Drugs@FDA).
| Atorvastatin | Clopidogrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | High cholesterol, Angina, High triglycerides, Heart attack and coronary artery disease | Heart attack and coronary artery disease, Angina |
| Pharmacologic class | HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor | P2Y12 Platelet Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | LIPITOR is a selective, competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme that converts 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A to mevalonate, a precursor of sterols, including cholesterol. | Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets. |
| Half-life (label) | Mean plasma elimination half-life of LIPITOR in humans is approximately 14 hours, but the half-life of inhibitory activity for HMG-CoA reductase is 20 to 30 hours due to the contribution of active metabolites. | After a single, oral dose of 75 mg, clopidogrel has a half-life of approximately 6 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 17, 1996 | November 17, 1997 |
| First generic approved | November 30, 2011 | January 14, 2008 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 59 labelers | 35 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0228 per tablet (Atorvastatin 10 mg tablet) | $0.0472 per tablet (Clopidogrel 75 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -8% | -15% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 53 | 6 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 245,894 | 211,001 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Clopidogrel label, drug interactionsPromptly evaluate any signs or symptoms of blood loss if patients are treated concomitantly with other antiplatelet agents [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ].
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to atorvastatin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions