Light Still On For Switches After Pfizer Pulls Plug On OTC Lipitor

The end of Pfizer Inc.’s look at a lower-dose OTC version of its blockbuster high cholesterol drug Lipitor does not dim the chances of switches for chronic conditions, but sheds light on drug firms’ challenge in directing consumers to safely select and use the products on their own.

In its second-quarter earnings statement on July 28, Pfizer said a 1,200-subject actual use trial to simulate the OTC use of Lipitor 10 mg, completed in December 2014, did not...