The generic formulation of atorvastatin (Atorva®) 20mg was not inferior to the branded formulation of atorvastatin (Lipitor®) 20mg in this 8-week treatment of hyperlipidemic Korean patients. In PP analysis, the LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate was significantly higher in Atorva group. Both treatments were well tolerated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible patients were men or women aged between 20 and 79 years who have not achieved LDL cholesterol goals using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel Ⅲ (NCEP-ATP Ⅲ) guideline, with the treatment goal of LDL cholesterol being <100 mg/dL for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or CAD-equivalent disease, <130 mg/dL for patients with multiple risk factors (10-year coronary heart disease [CHD] risk ≤20%), and <160 mg/dL for patients with 0 to 1 risk factors.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exclusion criteria were as follows: currently taking any kind of anti-hyperlipidemic drug (within 4 weeks before enrollment); hypersensitivity or intolerance to atorvastatin or other HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor; newly diagnosed (within 3 months before enrollment) or uncontrolled diabetes (hemoglobin A1C >9%); uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure >160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >100 mmHg); hepatic dysfunction (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] or aspartate aminotransferase [AST] levels ≥2 times the upper limit of normal [ULN]); an unexplained serum creatinine kinase (CK) elevation >2 times the ULN, chronic renal failure (a serum creatinine concentration >2.5 mg/dL); in patients who experienced operation at the time of screening, the patients must have a result of lipid profiles within 24 hours or after 6 weeks; a history of malignancy or cervical dysplasia; pregnant or breastfeeding women; women of childbearing potential had to be using adequate methods of contraception; a history of drug abuse or alcoholism; participation in other studies 4 weeks before enrollment. Patients could also be excluded if their participation was considered inappropriate by the study physician.