Atorvastatin and atorvastatin calcium are essentially the same medication; the difference lies solely in their chemical form.
Atorvastatin is the generic name for the active drug. Atorvastatin calcium is the calcium salt of atorvastatin. This salt form improves the drug’s solubility and allows for easier manufacturing of tablets.
Think of it like this: atorvastatin is the active ingredient, and atorvastatin calcium is the specific formulation used in many commercially available pills. Both achieve the same therapeutic effect – lowering cholesterol levels.
| Chemical Name | (R)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-β, δ-dihydroxy-5-(1-methylethyl)-3-phenyl-4-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-1H-pyrrole-1-heptanoic acid | Calcium salt of (R)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-β, δ-dihydroxy-5-(1-methylethyl)-3-phenyl-4-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-1H-pyrrole-1-heptanoic acid |
| Form | Free acid | Calcium salt |
| Solubility | Less soluble | More soluble |
| Therapeutic Effect | Reduces LDL cholesterol | Reduces LDL cholesterol |
Your doctor prescribes the medication based on its efficacy, not the specific chemical form. Both are equally effective in managing hypercholesterolemia. The choice between the two is usually determined by pharmaceutical manufacturing and formulation considerations, not clinical differences.
