Names for Statins

If your healthcare provider is considering a

statin medication to help lower your cholesterol, there are several ones to choose from. Some are similar (such as short-acting and long-acting versions of the same drug), and some are combined with non-statin medications.

The names for statins that are currently available in the United States (listed by brand name) include:

Advicor^® (niacin extended-release/lovastatin)
Altoprev^® (lovastatin extended-release)
Caduet^® (amlodipine and atorvastatin)
Crestor^® (rosuvastatin)
Juvisync^® (sitagliptin/simvastatin)
Lescol^® (fluvastatin)
Lescol XL (fluvastatin extended-release)
Lipitor^® (atorvastatin)
Mevacor^® (lovastatin)
Livalo^® (pitavastatin)
Pravachol^® (pravastatin)
Simcor^® (niacin extended-release/simvastatin)
Vytorin^® (ezetimibe/simvastatin)
Zocor^® (simvastatin).

Some of these statins are available in generic form. However, several statins are not commercially available at this time. Some are available in other countries or are currently being studied, but have not yet been approved in the United States.

(Click Statin Drug List for a complete overview of the names of statins currently available. This article also discusses medications that may have been taken off the market or that are currently only available in other countries.)