Atorvastatin: Uses, Dose, Side Effects and Top Brands in India (2026)

• Updated 9 October 2026
• Reviewed by Sudhanshu Singhal
• 22 min read
• 29 sources

The MRPs above are listing prices on the PharmEasy website, read on 9 October 2026 (the Atorva 10 mg page was updated on 5 October 2026). MRPs change over time and can differ between packs, so please check the current price before you buy.

What is atorvastatin (alone and with clopidogrel, aspirin or fenofibrate)?

Atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, the class commonly called a "statin", which lowers LDL cholesterol and, in the patient groups described in the approved labels, helps cut the risk of heart attack and stroke.

How it works

The official US label explains the mechanism: atorvastatin blocks HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme that makes mevalonate, a building block of cholesterol. Because of this, the liver makes less cholesterol and builds more LDL receptors, which pull LDL out of the bloodstream.

MedlinePlus puts it even more plainly — the medicine slows down how much cholesterol the body makes, so less of it builds up on the walls of the arteries. The liver is the main site of action; only about 14% of a swallowed dose reaches the circulation as the parent drug because of first-pass metabolism.

The mean plasma half-life is about 14 hours, but the half-life of its HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity is 20 to 30 hours because of active metabolites. The medicine is broken down mainly by the CYP3A4 enzyme, which is why several other drugs interact with it.

Forms and strengths sold in India

Tablet forms vary by product; the US label describes film-coated tablets in 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg strengths, and India's NLEM 2022 lists the same four strengths. The Indian market also has a 5 mg tablet, for example Storvas 5 (Sun) and Atorva 5 (Zydus).

Indian product labels state the content as "Atorvastatin Calcium I.P. equivalent to Atorvastatin 40 mg", where I.P. means Indian Pharmacopoeia grade. At Vibcare we supply atorvastatin tablets in the 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg strengths across the Atovib, Lamato and Statinor brands — see the Vibcare product range page for the full list.

What each combination partner adds

In the fixed-dose combinations, the statin part keeps doing the LDL lowering while the partner drug adds a different action. Clopidogrel and aspirin add an anti-platelet (anti-clotting) effect, and fenofibrate adds triglyceride lowering.

• Clopidogrel is a P2Y12 platelet inhibitor. Its active metabolite binds irreversibly to the P2Y12 ADP receptor on platelets and stops them from clumping; it is a prodrug that needs the CYP2C19 enzyme to work. Clopidogrel tablets are 75 mg and 300 mg.
• Aspirin (low dose) blocks platelet cyclo-oxygenase irreversibly, so thromboxane A2 is not formed. The effect lasts the 7 to 10 day life of the platelet.
• Fenofibrate is a PPAR-alpha agonist (a fibrate). It mainly lowers triglycerides and also lowers LDL-C and raises HDL-C.

Indian fixed-dose forms seen in the market include atorvastatin 10 mg + fenofibrate (micronised) 160 mg film-coated tablets, atorvastatin 40 mg + clopidogrel 75 mg capsules or bilayered tablets, and a triple capsule. For example, the Deplatt CV 40 label (Torrent) describes atorvastatin 40 mg pellets plus clopidogrel 75 mg (as two 37.5 mg tablets) plus aspirin 75 mg enteric pellets in one hard gelatin capsule.

At Vibcare, our combination range covers Atovib ASP 75/10 (atorvastatin 10 mg + aspirin 75 mg), Atovib CV 10 and 20 (atorvastatin + clopidogrel 75 mg), Atovib Gold 10 and 20 (atorvastatin + clopidogrel 75 mg + aspirin 75 mg) and Atovib F 10/160 (atorvastatin 10 mg + fenofibrate 160 mg) — see the Vibcare product range page for details.

What is it used for?

Atorvastatin is used to lower cholesterol and, in the patient groups described in the approved labels, to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. These are prescription uses only — please do not self-medicate, and take any prescription medicine only as your doctor has prescribed.

Uses stated in the labels

The US label lists two groups of uses. For cardiovascular risk reduction in adults it is used for: reducing heart attack, stroke, revascularisation and angina in people with multiple coronary heart disease risk factors but no clinically evident CHD; reducing heart attack and stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes and multiple CHD risk factors but no clinically evident CHD; and reducing non-fatal heart attack, fatal and non-fatal stroke, revascularisation, hospitalisation for heart failure and angina in adults with clinically evident CHD.

For lipids, the US label lists atorvastatin as an addition to diet to reduce LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia and in adults and children aged 10 years and above with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH); as an addition to other LDL-lowering therapies (or alone if those are not available) in adults and children aged 10 and above with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia; and as an addition to diet for primary dysbetalipoproteinemia and hypertriglyceridemia in adults.

The UK label describes it as an addition to diet to reduce total cholesterol, LDL-C, apolipoprotein B and triglycerides in adults, adolescents and children aged 10 and above with primary hypercholesterolaemia (including heterozygous familial) or combined (mixed) hyperlipidaemia when diet alone is not enough; for homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia in adults; and for prevention of cardiovascular events in adults at high risk of a first event.

The US label quotes the ASCOT-LLA trial, in which atorvastatin 10 mg a day reduced non-fatal heart attack plus CHD death by 36% relative (1.9% versus 3.0% with placebo). In pooled placebo-controlled trials over six weeks, LDL-C reduction was 39% at 10 mg, 43% at 20 mg, 50% at 40 mg and 60% at 80 mg.

What the combination partners are approved for

Clopidogrel, according to its US label, reduces heart attack and stroke in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina/NSTEMI) and in STEMI managed medically, "in conjunction with aspirin", and is also used in recent heart attack, recent stroke or established peripheral arterial disease. Low-dose aspirin (UK label) is used for secondary prevention of thrombotic cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease and after bypass surgery.

Fenofibrate (US label) is an addition to diet to lower LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides and Apo B and raise HDL-C in adults with primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia, and for severe hypertriglyceridemia. The UK label for fenofibrate 160 mg lists severe hypertriglyceridaemia, mixed hyperlipidaemia when a statin is contraindicated or not tolerated, and mixed hyperlipidaemia in high-cardiovascular-risk patients in addition to a statin when triglycerides and HDL-C are not adequately controlled.

CDSCO's list of fixed-dose combinations approved by the DCGI gives the Indian indications. Atorvastatin 10 mg + fenofibrate (micronised) 160 mg film-coated tablets are approved "for the treatment of combined hyperlipidaemia in patients with normal hepatic and renal function". Atorvastatin 40 mg + clopidogrel 75 mg (hard gelatin capsule, approved 13.08.2021; uncoated bilayered tablet, approved 31.10.2022) is approved for "treatment of dyslipidemia associated with atherosclerotic arterial disease with risk of myocardial infarction, stroke or peripheral vascular disease". Atorvastatin 10 mg + aspirin 75/150 mg capsules (18.01.2008) and atorvastatin 40 mg + aspirin 75 mg capsules (05.02.2021) carry the same indication.

For the three-drug atorvastatin + clopidogrel + aspirin combination, no entry was found in the CDSCO fixed-dose combination lists reviewed. The indication for Deplatt CV 40 therefore comes only from the Torrent company prescribing information, which states "patients with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) and myocardial infarction (MI)". The Modlip F label (Torrent) for atorvastatin 10 mg + fenofibrate 160 mg states "combined hyperlipidemia".

Dose as stated in the labels

The labels describe a once-daily tablet taken by mouth, with or without food, but the dose for a particular patient is always decided by the treating doctor — this page does not give personal dose instructions.

Adults

The US label states that atorvastatin is taken orally once daily, with a recommended starting dose of 10 mg or 20 mg once daily and a range of 10 mg to 80 mg once daily. People who need more than a 45% LDL-C reduction may start at 40 mg, and LDL-C should be assessed as early as 4 weeks after starting so the dose can be adjusted. The UK label gives the usual starting dose as 10 mg once a day, adjusted at intervals of 4 weeks or more, to a maximum of 80 mg once a day; most patients are controlled on 10 mg.

Children

The US label covers children aged 10 and above: for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia the starting dose is 10 mg once daily with a range of 10 to 20 mg, and for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia the start is 10 to 20 mg with a range of 10 to 80 mg. The UK label covers adults, adolescents and children aged 10 and above with primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed hyperlipidaemia.

Timing, food and duration

Both the US and UK labels say the tablet can be taken at any time of the day, with or without food. The US label explains why: evening dosing gives about 30% lower peak and total exposure than morning dosing, but the LDL-C reduction is the same at either time, and food lowers peak levels by about 25% and total exposure by about 9% without changing the cholesterol response. The NHS advises taking it at about the same time each day, and says it is usually a long-term medicine, sometimes for life. MedlinePlus advises continuing it even if you feel well.

Special situations and combination doses

• No dose change is needed for kidney impairment, though the muscle risk is higher; use with caution in liver impairment (US and UK labels).
• The US label caps the dose at 20 mg daily with clarithromycin or itraconazole, saquinavir plus ritonavir, darunavir plus ritonavir, fosamprenavir, elbasvir plus grazoprevir or letermovir, and at 40 mg with nelfinavir.
• Clopidogrel (US label): in acute coronary syndrome, one 300 mg loading dose followed by 75 mg once daily; in recent heart attack, recent stroke or peripheral arterial disease, 75 mg once daily without a loading dose.
• Aspirin (UK label): usual long-term dose 75 to 150 mg once daily, swallowed whole with water; up to 300 mg a day may be used short term on a doctor's advice.
• Fenofibrate (US label): initial dose 160 mg once daily with meals for primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia, and 54 to 160 mg for severe hypertriglyceridemia (maximum 160 mg); in mild to moderate kidney impairment start at 54 mg. The UK label for the 160 mg tablet says one tablet once daily, swallowed whole during a meal; with eGFR 30 to 59 the daily dose must not exceed 100 mg standard or 67 mg micronised.
• Indian combination labels state "one tablet once a day or as directed by physician" (Modlip F) and "once daily or as directed by the Physician" (Deplatt CV 40).

Side effects

Like every medicine, atorvastatin can cause side effects, and any new or unexplained symptom should be reported to the doctor who prescribed it.

Common side effects

In the US trial database (8,755 people on atorvastatin versus 7,311 on placebo, median 53 weeks), the reactions seen in 5% or more of patients were nasopharyngitis, arthralgia, diarrhoea, pain in the extremity and urinary tract infection. The rates were: nasopharyngitis 8.3% versus 8.2% on placebo, arthralgia 6.9% versus 6.5%, diarrhoea 6.8% versus 6.3%, pain in extremity 6.0% versus 5.9% and urinary tract infection 5.7% versus 5.6%. Dyspepsia was 4.7% versus 4.3% and nausea 4.0% versus 3.5%.

The UK label lists myalgia, arthralgia, pain in extremity, muscle spasm, headache, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, nasopharyngitis and raised liver tests or creatine kinase (CK) as "common" (affecting 1 in 100 to 1 in 10 people). The NHS lists headache, dizziness, feeling sick, constipation or diarrhoea, indigestion, wind, muscle aches, swollen joints, a blocked or runny nose or nosebleeds, and sleep problems.

Muscle and liver effects

Muscle pain (myalgia) was reported in 3.5% of people on atorvastatin versus 3.1% on placebo, and 0.7% stopped because of it. Serious muscle problems — myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, where muscle breakdown can damage the kidneys — are rare (listed as "rare" in the UK label), but the risk is higher with age above 65, uncontrolled underactive thyroid, kidney impairment, certain other medicines and higher doses. Anyone who gets unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness, especially with fever or feeling unwell, should tell a doctor promptly.

On the liver, persistent transaminase rises above three times the upper limit of normal occurred in about 0.7% overall — 0.2% at 10 mg, 0.2% at 20 mg, 0.6% at 40 mg and 2.3% at 80 mg. The label advises considering liver tests before starting and whenever clinically indicated; hepatic failure is "very rare". Serum transaminases above three times the upper limit were seen in 0.8% in UK trials, and CK above three times the limit in 2.5%.

Effects of the combination partners

• Clopidogrel: bleeding, including life-threatening and fatal bleeding, is the most commonly reported reaction; thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is rare and can be fatal.
• Clopidogrel plus aspirin: in the CURE trial, major bleeding was 3.7% versus 2.7% on aspirin alone, life-threatening bleeding 2.2% versus 1.8%, fatal bleeding 0.2% in both groups, and minor bleeding that stopped study treatment 5.1% versus 2.4%.
• Aspirin: increased bleeding tendency and dyspepsia are common; severe gastrointestinal bleeding and intracranial haemorrhage are rare; gastric or duodenal ulcers and perforation are listed with frequency "not known".
• Fenofibrate: abdominal pain 4.6% versus 4.4% on placebo, back pain 3.4% versus 2.5%, headache 3.2% versus 2.7% and nausea 2.3% versus 1.9%; 5% stopped treatment versus 3%, most often because of raised liver tests.

Who should not take it, and interactions

Atorvastatin is not suitable for everyone, and several common medicines interact with it, so the prescribing doctor must know the full list of medicines and health conditions. In the clopidogrel combinations, the clopidogrel label adds that NSAID painkillers, warfarin, SSRI or SNRI antidepressants and other antiplatelet medicines increase the risk of bleeding.

Contraindications

• US label: acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis, and known allergy to atorvastatin or any of its ingredients.
• UK label: allergy, active liver disease or unexplained persistent transaminases above three times the upper limit, pregnancy, breast-feeding, women who could become pregnant and are not using contraception, and patients on glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.
• Clopidogrel: active pathological bleeding (such as peptic ulcer or intracranial haemorrhage) and known allergy. Its US label carries a boxed warning that the medicine is less effective in CYP2C19 poor metabolisers; omeprazole and esomeprazole should be avoided, as should strong CYP2C19 inducers.
• Aspirin 75 mg: allergy to salicylates or NSAIDs (including some types of asthma), active or recurrent peptic ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding disorders, gout, severe liver or kidney impairment, doses above 100 mg a day in the third trimester, and methotrexate at doses above 15 mg a week; it is not for under-16s.
• Fenofibrate: severe renal impairment including dialysis, active liver disease, pre-existing gallbladder disease, breast-feeding and known allergy; the UK label also lists pancreatitis and known photoallergy.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

The US label says atorvastatin should be discontinued when pregnancy is recognised because it may cause fetal harm, and that breast-feeding is not recommended. The UK label says it must not be used in pregnancy or while breast-feeding. The NHS says it is not recommended in pregnancy and advises stopping three months before trying to conceive. Company Indian combination labels repeat these restrictions (Modlip F and Deplatt CV 40 both list pregnancy and breast-feeding as contraindications).

Key interactions

• Ciclosporin (and gemfibrozil, tipranavir plus ritonavir, glecaprevir plus pibrentasvir): the US label says concomitant use is not recommended — atorvastatin exposure rose about 8.7-fold in an interaction study.
• Clarithromycin and itraconazole: the US label says the atorvastatin dose should not exceed 20 mg daily with these; the UK label lists clarithromycin among strong CYP3A4 and transport inhibitors that raise rhabdomyolysis risk.
• Other muscle-risk partners named in the US label: fibrates, niacin at 1 g a day or more, colchicine, ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir, erythromycin, ketoconazole, posaconazole and voriconazole.
• Levels raised by atorvastatin: digoxin and the oral contraceptive hormones norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol. Rifampin should be given at the same time as atorvastatin. The UK label notes a small, transient fall in prothrombin time with warfarin.
• Grapefruit juice: the US label says avoid more than 1.2 litres a day; the UK label says large quantities are not recommended, since over 1.2 litres daily for five days raised atorvastatin exposure about 2.5-fold; the NHS advises no more than one or two small glasses a day.
• Fenofibrate with a statin raises the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. The US label advises avoiding the combination unless the added lipid benefit is likely to outweigh the risk, with liver tests at baseline and periodically. The UK label for fenofibrate says co-prescription with a statin should be reserved for severe combined dyslipidaemia with high cardiovascular risk and no history of muscle disease, with close monitoring.

Alcohol

The US label says people who drink substantial quantities of alcohol and/or have liver disease may be at increased risk of liver injury, and its patient leaflet asks users to tell the doctor if they have more than two glasses of alcohol daily. The UK label says use with caution with substantial alcohol intake. The NHS advises trying to limit alcohol because it can raise the chance of liver problems, and MedlinePlus says to ask the doctor about safe alcohol use.

Rules in India

In India, atorvastatin is a Schedule H prescription medicine, it appears on the National List of Essential Medicines 2022, and its price is controlled under a ceiling fixed by the NPPA.

• Schedule H: atorvastatin (entry 42), clopidogrel bisulphate (128) and fenofibrate (196) appear in Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 in the CDSCO-hosted compiled rules (2016 edition). Under Rule 97 a Schedule H medicine must carry the Rx symbol and the words "Schedule H drug - Warning: To be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only".
• NLEM 2022 (Gazette S.O. 5249(E), 11 November 2022): atorvastatin tablets 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg are listed at 10.6.1; clopidogrel tablet 75 mg at 10.5.2; acetylsalicylic acid enteric-coated 75 mg and 100 mg, and 150 mg and 325 mg tablets at 10.5.1. Fenofibrate is not in the list, and no fixed-dose atorvastatin combination appears in it.
• NPPA ceiling prices per tablet, as on March 2026: atorvastatin 10 mg ₹5.09, 20 mg ₹12.86, 40 mg ₹19.77, 80 mg ₹41.56; clopidogrel 75 mg ₹6.82 and 150 mg ₹20.98; acetylsalicylic acid enteric-coated 75 mg ₹0.36, 100 mg ₹0.22, 150 mg ₹0.72 and 325 mg ₹0.68. Ceiling prices exclude GST.
• Combinations: fixed-dose combinations of atorvastatin are outside the NLEM 2022 list, so no NLEM ceiling price applies to the combination as such, and each approved combination needs its own DCGI approval.
• WHO: atorvastatin is on the WHO Essential Medicines List (eEML) as a therapeutic equivalent to simvastatin.

Indian guidance from the Lipid Association of India set an LDL-C goal below 50 mg/dL for the very-high-risk group in 2016, and its 2020 update added an extreme-risk group with goals of 30 mg/dL or lower; the 2023 update notes that the wide availability and low cost of statins in India make effective LDL lowering feasible for high-risk people. Real-world Indian data published in 2026 (9,658 coronary artery disease patients on stable lipid therapy) found a median LDL-C of 66.1 mg/dL, with only 27.0% at 50 mg/dL or below and 73.3% on high-intensity statins.

Top brands in India

Many companies market atorvastatin in India, and the table at the top of this page lists the ten brands that held 77.05% of the 10 mg tablet market by moving annual turnover in the NPPA price-computation worksheet built on July 2022 data (a total of ₹290.2 crore). That is the only brand-level sales source we could find in official free material, it covers 10 mg tablets only, and it is now a few years old, so it should be read as historical context rather than a current ranking. Lipvas (Cipla) appeared in the same sheet with only 0.22% share and is not confirmed as a top-ten seller in that data.

Combination brands are widely sold too. In the atorvastatin + fenofibrate 10/160 group, listings on 9 October 2026 included Lipvas F (Cipla) strip of 10 at ₹175.82, Avas F (Micro Labs) strip of 10 at ₹253.10, Stator-F (Abbott) strip of 15 at ₹338.90, Atocor-F (Dr Reddy's) strip of 15 at ₹589.35 and Tonact-TG (Lupin) strip of 15 at ₹601.45. In the atorvastatin + clopidogrel group, Tata 1mg listed Storvas CV 40/75 (Sun) strip of 10 at ₹349, Stator CV 10/75 (Abbott) strip of 15 at ₹227.29, Atorlip CV (Cipla) strip of 10 at ₹254.16 and Lipikind CV 10/75 (Mankind) strip of 10 at ₹120.39. Triple capsules (aspirin 75 + atorvastatin + clopidogrel 75) included Atorva Gold 10 (Zydus) strip of 15 at ₹97.83, Stator Gold (Abbott) strip of 15 at ₹98.90, Atorlip Gold 10 (Cipla) strip of 10 at ₹64.22 and Lipikind-Plus (Mankind) strip of 15 at ₹135.86. All these are listing prices read on 9 October 2026 and they change.

The Vibcare range

Vibcare's atorvastatin portfolio covers 19 products in 10 compositions — plain atorvastatin 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg tablets across the Atovib, Lamato and Statinor brands, plus the combination packs Atovib ASP 75/10, Atovib CV, Atovib Gold and Atovib F 10/160.

The Vibcare atorvastatin range is offered to PCD franchise partners. To learn about distribution rights for your district, visit our PCD pharma franchise page.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Related reading

• PCD pharma franchise with Vibcare
• Browse the Vibcare product range