INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - APRIL 16th - MAY 10th - 2008
US OFFICE CONFIRMS PFIZER’S LIPITOR PATENT
The US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has confirmed the patentability of Pfizer's patent number 893 for its $13-billion anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor, a Pfizer release said. The USPTO had conducted a re-examination of the patent number 893 after a request by Ranbaxy Laboratories. A verdict in its favour would have paved the way for Ranbaxy to advance the launch of its generic version of Lipitor before March, 2010. This verdicts means that the launch date can not be advanced. The patent number 893 expires in March, 2010 (including paediatric exclusivity). Pfizer had received favourable decision in its litigation against Ranbaxy, both in the trial and appeal courts for the same patent.
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