Two medicines, side by side
Atorvastatin vs verapamil
Atorvastatin and verapamil are both labeled for angina. Drugs@FDA records approvals of atorvastatin since 1996 and of verapamil since 1981. Pharmacies paid $0.0228 per atorvastatin 10 mg tablet and $0.191 per verapamil ER 180 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 verapamil a calcium channel blocker.
Check it at the source: the atorvastatin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 15, 2024); the verapamil FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 6, 2026).
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 verapamil record
Verapamil (Isoptin) · label of April 6, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsVerapamil hydrochloride extended-release tablets are indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes including this drug. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 12, 1981
- Generic labelers
- 43 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.191 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 7
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Atorvastatin label of April 15, 2024, Verapamil label of April 6, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do atorvastatin and verapamil differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, atorvastatin is a hmg-coa reductase inhibitor and verapamil a calcium channel blocker.
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 …”; Verapamil, “Mechanism of action Essential hypertension: Verapamil exerts antihypertensive effects by decreasing systemic vascular resistance, usually without orthostatic decreases in blood pressure or reflex …”
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 …”; Verapamil, “The mean elimination half-life in single-dose studies ranged from 2.8 to 7.4 hours.”
Generics: atorvastatin since 2011; verapamil since 1985 (Drugs@FDA).
| Atorvastatin | Verapamil | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | High cholesterol, Angina, High triglycerides, Heart attack and coronary artery disease | High blood pressure, Atrial fibrillation, Angina |
| Pharmacologic class | HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor | Calcium Channel Blocker |
| 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. | Mechanism of action Essential hypertension: Verapamil exerts antihypertensive effects by decreasing systemic vascular resistance, usually without orthostatic decreases in blood pressure or reflex tachycardia; … |
| 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. | The mean elimination half-life in single-dose studies ranged from 2.8 to 7.4 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 17, 1996 | August 12, 1981 |
| First generic approved | November 30, 2011 | November 12, 1985 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 59 labelers | 43 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0228 per tablet (Atorvastatin 10 mg tablet) | $0.191 per tablet (Verapamil ER 180 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -8% | +7% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
| Recalls recorded | 53 | 7 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 245,894 | 4,242 |
| 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