spacer
The Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network celebrates 25 years serving the medical sales & marketing community.Connecting Medical Independent Sales Reps and Distributors with Manufacturers and New Product LinesConnecting Medical Independent Sales Reps and Distributors with Manufacturers and New Product Lines

Healthcare Industry News:  Ranbaxy Laboratories 

Biopharmaceuticals Generics Litigation

 News Release - October 29, 2007

Pfizer to Appeal German Court Decision in Lipitor Patent Case; Company Notes That Ruling Has No Immediate Commercial Impact

NEW YORK--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Pfizer Inc said today that the Federal Patent Court in Munich, Germany has revoked the company’s patent covering atorvastatin calcium, the active ingredient in Lipitor. The patent at issue in the lawsuit (EP 409,281) expires in July 2010.

The decision — which resulted from a patent challenge by generic manufacturers Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited and Basics GmbH — has no immediate commercial impact because neither company has regulatory approval to sell a generic atorvastatin product in Germany, and because Pfizer’s basic patent covering atorvastatin remains in force, and expires after the enantiomer patent. That patent expires in November, 2011. Lipitor is sold in Germany under the brand name Sortis.

Pfizer said it will appeal the decision, a process expected to take two to three years. The ruling will have no effect on a pending challenge to the basic atorvastatin patent in Germany by the same two companies. Pfizer also noted that the decision will have no impact on patent litigation involving Lipitor in other jurisdictions around the world.

Source: Pfizer

Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its content.
Please address inquiries directly to the issuing company.

Search: Pfizer 
Search: Ranbaxy Laboratories 
Search: atorvastatin 
Search: Lipitor 
Healthcare Industry NewsFeed  


FindReps - Find Great Medical Independent Sales Reps without recruiter fees.
FindReps - available on the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad.