Lipitor vs Repatha
The standard cholesterol tablet against the injectable PCSK9 antibody reserved for people whose LDL stays high despite maximum statin therapy.
At a glance
Key differences
- Different classes. Lipitor is a statin; Repatha is a PCSK9 inhibitor. They act on different targets in the body.
- How they are taken. Lipitor is given by the oral route; Repatha by the subcutaneous route.
- Time on the market. Lipitor was first approved by the FDA in 1996, Repatha in 2015. That gives Lipitor roughly 19 more years of real-world use and long-term safety data.
- Who markets them. Lipitor is marketed by Viatris; Repatha by Amgen.
What each one treats
LIPITOR 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 procedures, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, and angina in adults with clinically evident CHD • As an adjunct to diet to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in: o Adults with primary hyperlipidemia. o Adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). • As an adjunct to other LDL-C-lowering therapies, or alone if such treatments are unavailable, to reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patie…
REPATHA is indicated: To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, or coronary revascularization) in adults at increased risk for these events. As an adjunct to diet and exercise to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in: adults with hypercholesterolemia. adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). REPATHA is a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9) inhibitor indicated: To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, or coronary revascularization) in adults at increased risk for these ev…
How each one works
12.1 Mechanism of Action 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. In animal models, LIPITOR lowers plasma cholesterol and lipoprotein levels by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol synthesis in the liver and by increasing the number of hepatic LDL receptors on the cell surface to enhance uptake and catabolism of LDL; LIPITOR also reduces LDL production and the number of LDL particles.
12.1 Mechanism of Action Evolocumab is a human monoclonal IgG2 directed against human proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9). PCSK9 binds to the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) on the surface of hepatocytes to promote LDLR degradation within the liver. By inhibiting the binding of PCSK9 to LDLR, evolocumab increases the number of LDLRs available to clear LDL from the blood, thereby lowering LDL-C levels.
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- FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
- Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
- FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status
Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 10 Oct 2026. How every register is built: methodology · fixes we have made: corrections log.