Pfizer had bet heavily that Torcetrapib, a novel cholesterol remedy it was developing, would be the blockbuster to replace Lipitor and help save the company.

The Justice Department also said the pharmaceutical giant provided kickbacks to health-care providers to encourage them to prescribe other drugs, including Lipitor, Viagra and Zoloft.

(Pfizer, which makes Lipitor, responds in part that "managing cardiovascular disease risk factors is complicated").