Hospitalizations Due to Heart Failure Are a Major Contributor to Growing
                   Healthcare Costs in the United States

    NEW YORK, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Patients with coronary heart
disease who took Lipitor(R) (atorvastatin calcium) 80 mg tablets reduced
their risk of hospitalizations due to heart failure compared to patients
taking the 10 mg dose of Lipitor, according to a new analysis of a subset
of patients from the five-year TNT (Treating to New Targets) study,
published in today's issue of Circulation.
    "These results show that patients with a history of heart failure who
were treated with Lipitor 80 mg dose significantly reduced their chances of
hospitalizations for heart failure," said Dr. Rochelle Chaiken, vice
president of Pfizer's CV Metabolic group. "This important new information
for physicians and patients adds to what has been shown about the
cardiovascular efficacy of Lipitor in reducing the risk of events like
heart attacks, strokes and revascularization procedures."
    The analysis showed that patients with heart disease who took Lipitor
80 mg dose achieved significant reductions in the risk of hospitalizations
due to heart failure by 26 percent. For those patients with a history of
heart failure, Lipitor 80 mg significantly reduced their risk of
hospitalization by 41 percent.
    "These findings have important implications for the management of these
high-risk patients," said Dr. David Waters, professor of medicine at the
University of California, San Francisco. "Hospitalizations due to heart
failure are a major contributor to growing healthcare costs in the United
States."
    Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for adults over
65 in the United States. Patients hospitalized once for heart failure face
a substantially greater risk of being hospitalized for the condition again
and a greater risk of death. The estimated total cost of heart failure in
2007 in the United States is $33.2 billion ($30.2 billion direct and $3
billion indirect costs).
    Impact of Heart Failure
    Heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart muscle cannot
pump enough blood to keep up with the body's needs. Nearly 5 million
Americans and 6.5 million Europeans live with heart failure, and nearly 1
million new cases are diagnosed each year worldwide. Patients who develop
heart failure often have other health conditions or behaviors that affect
how the heart works, such as damage from a heart attack, having high blood
pressure, smoking, being overweight, eating foods high in fat and
cholesterol, not exercising and having diabetes.
    Of the 10,000 patients in the overall TNT study:
    * The incidence of hospitalizations due to heart failure was 2.4 percent
      in patients who took Lipitor 80 mg dose and 3.3 percent in patients who
      took Lipitor 10 mg dose.

    Sub analyses of these patients showed:
    * Among those with a history of heart failure (781 patients), the
      incidence of hospitalizations for heart failure was 10.6 percent in
      patients who took Lipitor 80 mg compared to 17.3 percent in patients who
      took the 10 mg dose.
    * In patients without a history of heart failure, the rates of
      hospitalization due to heart failure were lower compared to those with a
      history of heart failure (1.8 percent for patients who took the 80 mg
      dose versus 2.0 percent for patients who took the 10 mg dose). The
      difference between treatment groups was not statistically significant.

    About TNT (Treating to New Targets) Study
    The TNT study was a landmark investigator-led trial coordinated by an
independent steering committee and sponsored by Pfizer. It was the largest
study to date evaluating the efficacy and safety of Lipitor 80 mg. The
study enrolled 10,001 men and women with coronary heart disease aged 35
years to 75 years in 14 countries and followed them for an average of five
years.
    About Lipitor
    Lipitor is supported by an extensive clinical trial program involving
more than 400 ongoing and completed trials with more than 80,000 patients.
    Important US Prescribing Information
    Lipitor is a prescription medication. It is used in patients with
multiple risk factors for heart disease such as family history, high blood
pressure, age, low HDL ("good" cholesterol) or smoking to reduce the risk
of heart attack and stroke. When diet and exercise alone are not enough,
Lipitor is used along with a low-fat diet and exercise to lower
cholesterol.
    Lipitor is also used in patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one
other risk factor for heart disease such as high blood pressure, smoking or
complications of diabetes, including eye disease and protein in urine, to
reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
    Lipitor is not for everyone. It is not for those with liver problems.
And it is not for women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant.
    Patients taking Lipitor should tell their doctors if they feel any new
muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of rare but serious muscle
side effects. Patients should tell their doctors about all medications they
take. This may help avoid serious drug interactions. Doctors should do
blood tests to check liver function before and during treatment and may
adjust the dose. The most common side effects are gas, constipation,
stomach pain and heartburn. They tend to be mild and often go away.
    For additional product information, visit http://www.Lipitor.com.

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