Healthcare Industry News: Ranbaxy
News Release - January 25, 2007
Pfizer Gains Favorable Ruling From Canadian Court on Lipitor Basic Patent, Will Appeal Ruling on Calcium Salt Patent
NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- Pfizer Inc said today that it will appeal a decision by the Canadian Federal Court in Toronto denying its application to block approval of a generic version of Lipitor by Ranbaxy. The ruling involves a patent (Canadian Patent No. 2,021,546) covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor, which expires in July 2010."This decision presents clear and substantive issues for appeal and we will begin that process immediately in an effort to sustain Lipitor's exclusivity through July 2010," said Pfizer General Counsel Allen Waxman.
Separately, the court ruled that Pfizer's basic patent covering atorvastatin (Canadian patent No. 1,268,768) -- which expires in May 2007 -- would be infringed by Ranbaxy.
Source: Pfizer
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