Today (May 17), Bristol Myers-Myers Squibb and Sanofi will lose patent protection for Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate), the top selling drug they co-developed and co-commercialized, that generated more than $7 billion in sales in the United States last year. The oral drug is used for patients who had a recent heart attack or a recent stroke.

Patients will not have to wait long to switch to generic clopidogrel. In a news release today, Walmart said it would begin selling the generic on Saturday in all of its Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies.

The FDA is considering making drugs to treat conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure available over-the-counter with the hopes of increasing medication adherence and lowering healthcare costs, according to multiple reports.

FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, made the announcement on March 7, and the organization held a public meeting on March 22 and 23. Public comments are due by May 7.

According to the Associated Press, the FDA is in the early stages of the proposal.