The loss of patent on Lipitor looks set to cost up to 180 jobs at two Pfizer plants in Cork. Linda Johnson examines the success of the lucrative cholesterol lowering drug

Pfizer enjoyed net income of $2.88bn in the third quarter of the year, it has been announced.

THE Irish economy is home to 83 pharmaceutical plants accounting for 17,000 jobs and total exports of €35 billion last year.

Taking very high doses of a drug to push cholesterol to very low levels can help people with heart disease avoid strokes and heart attacks, research has revealed.

Merck & Co, the maker of the Zocor cholesterol medicine, said first-quarter profit rose 4.8% as the company cut costs.