Pfizer hails Lipitor patent ruling

Pfizer has welcomed a new court ruling which states that its statin Lipitor would undergo intellectual copyright infringement from generics manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories.

The judgement from the district court of the Hague, suggests that the patent covering atorvastatin, the basic ingredient in Lipitor, would be infringed by a competitor product from the Indian-based company.

This follows previous court battles between the rival companies with Ranbaxy having already challenged Pfizer for patents on the Lipitor in several countries. It also comes after Ranbaxy successfully overturned two Norwegian patents regarding atorvastin – a ruling that Pfizer alleged has no effect.

Allen Waxman, general counsel of Pfizer, commented on today’s announcement: “Today’s decision is another affirmation of the strength of the intellectual property behind Lipitor, one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our era.

“The court’s ruling reinforces the fundamental principle that patent laws exist to support and encourage medical innovators, not undermine them.”

Pfizer also commented on a verdict from the court declaring that a second patent from Ranbaxy covering calcium salt of atvorstatin is invalid. The drug manufacturer stated that the patent, which expires in July 2010, will have no practical effect on the life of Lipitor in the Netherlands.

Currently, Pfizer’s patents on Lipitor in European markets remain valid until 2011, with the new ruling unlikely to affect challenges to Lipitor in countries such as the US. Pfizer states that it will continue to “aggressively defend” its patents against infringement from other companies.