(NEXSTAR) – More than 140,000 bottles of a popular drug prescribed to reduce cholesterol have been recalled for a defect that could make the medication less effective.
Ascend Laboratories, LLC, a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company, first initiated its recall of the atorvastatin calcium tablets on Sept. 19. In October it became a “Class II” recall, meaning health officials believe the use of the recalled product could cause some temporary or reversible adverse health effects.
Atorvastatin is a type of statin and the generic form of the name-brand drug Lipitor. It ranks as the most-prescribed drug in America and is used to treat cholesterol and reduce the chance of heart attacks.
The recalled batch of atorvastatins didn’t pass a quality control test. Samples of the drug, taken between November 2024 and September 2025 didn’t dissolve properly.
That’s a problem, explained professor of pharmacology C. Michael White, because the drug must dissolve properly for its active ingredients to be absorbed into the body.
“So, while patients wouldn’t immediately feel a difference if their atorvastatin tablets didn’t dissolve properly, their risk of cardiovascular events would significantly rise,” White wrote in an article for The Conversation.
How to tell if your prescription is impacted
The recall affected bottles of 10mg, 20mg, 40mg and 80mg atorvastatin calcium tablets manufactured by Alkem Laboratories, Ltd., of India, and distributed by Ascend.
White advised taking a close look at your prescription label for one of two abbreviations, MFG for “manufacturing” or MFR for “manufacturer.” A label like “MFG Ascend” would indicate Ascend is the manufacturer of your prescription.
If that’s the case, you may want to talk to a pharmacist, who can help you determine if your prescription was filled with pills from the recalled lot numbers. They can help swap out your pills with a different version that isn’t recalled.
What to do if your prescription is recalled
In many cases, when a food or drink is recalled, health officials advise people toss out or stop consuming the affected product. With this medication, that is not the case.
“In some instances, stopping your medicine may be more harmful to your health than continuing to take the recalled medicine,” the Food and Drug Administration says.
The concern with these atorvastatin pills is that their efficacy may be compromised. But even if that turns out to be the case for your prescription, taking the medication is better than not taking anything. A pharmacist can help get you a replacement, if needed.
