Last Updated: 2003-06-04 12:40:34 -0400 (Reuters Health)

WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on Tuesday that it has discovered additional counterfeit lots of Pfizer Inc.'s cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor.

The agency said it has uncovered two additional counterfeit lots of 10-mg tablets in 90-tablet bottles (coded 20842V and 16092V) and one counterfeit lot of 20-mg tablets in 90-tablet bottles (coded D270481).

As with previously discovered counterfeit lots of the drug, the bottles' labeling states that the product was repackaged by Med-Pro Inc. of Lexington, Nebraska, the FDA said.

The FDA first warned consumers and health care professionals to look out for counterfeit Lipitor last month. That alert involved lots of 90-tablet bottles coded 20722V, 04132V and 16942V.

The FDA said it has since pursued a variety of leads along the supply and distribution chain, and the investigation is still ongoing.

Separately, Pfizer said on Tuesday it is suing Med-Pro and Albers Medical Distributors Inc., the Kansas City distributor that shipped the counterfeit lots.

Pfizer spokeswoman Vanessa McGowan told Reuters Health the lawsuit was filed in part to stop the distribution of the counterfeit products and in part to identify the source.