Two medicines, side by side
Atorvastatin vs ezetimibe
Atorvastatin and ezetimibe are both labeled for high cholesterol. Drugs@FDA records approvals of atorvastatin since 1996 and of ezetimibe since 2002. Pharmacies paid $0.0228 per atorvastatin 10 mg tablet and $0.0667 per ezetimibe 10 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026). 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 ezetimibe a dietary cholesterol absorption inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the atorvastatin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 15, 2024); the ezetimibe FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 25, 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 ezetimibe record
Ezetimibe (Zetia) · label of November 25, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsZETIA ® is indicated: In combination with a statin, or alone when additional low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering therapy is not possible, as an adjunct to diet to reduce elevated LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 25, 2002
- Generic labelers
- 23 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0667 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Atorvastatin label of April 15, 2024, Ezetimibe label of November 25, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do atorvastatin and ezetimibe differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, atorvastatin is a hmg-coa reductase inhibitor and ezetimibe a dietary cholesterol absorption 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 …”; Ezetimibe, “Ezetimibe reduces blood cholesterol by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol by the small intestine.”
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 …”; Ezetimibe, “Both ezetimibe and ezetimibe-glucuronide are eliminated from plasma with a half-life of approximately 22 hours for both …”
Generics: atorvastatin since 2011; ezetimibe since 2015 (Drugs@FDA).
| Atorvastatin | Ezetimibe | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | High cholesterol, Angina, High triglycerides, Heart attack and coronary artery disease | High cholesterol |
| Pharmacologic class | HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor | Dietary Cholesterol Absorption 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. | Ezetimibe reduces blood cholesterol by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol by the small intestine. |
| 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. | Both ezetimibe and ezetimibe-glucuronide are eliminated from plasma with a half-life of approximately 22 hours for both ezetimibe and ezetimibe-glucuronide. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 17, 1996 | October 25, 2002 |
| First generic approved | November 30, 2011 | June 26, 2015 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 59 labelers | 23 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0228 per tablet (Atorvastatin 10 mg tablet) | $0.0667 per tablet (Ezetimibe 10 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -8% | -6% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 53 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 245,894 | 74,543 |
| 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 next?
- Alternatives to atorvastatin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions