Pfizer settles Lipitor litigation with Ranbaxy

Pfizer has entered into an agreement with Indian generics manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories to settle all their patent litigation regarding Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) worldwide.

Under the terms of the deal, Ranbaxy will receive a license to sell generic forms of high blood pressure and cholesterol drugs Lipitor and Caduet (amlodipine/atorvastatin).

It will receive this license effective in the US from the end of November 2011, while it will also be able to sell generic versions of the drugs in other countries on varying dates.

All lawsuits between the companies regarding the drugs in countries specified under the agreement will be dismissed, while Ranbaxy will no longer contest the validity of Pfizer’s patents in those countries.

Ian Read, president of worldwide pharmaceutical operations for Pfizer, said: “This agreement is a win-win-win because it is pro-patient, pro-competition and pro-intellectual property.

“The agreement provides patients with access to a generic product much earlier than if Ranbaxy were unsuccessful in obtaining approval for its product and overcoming the relevant patents.”

He added that the deal also provides certainty regarding the entry of generic forms of Lipitor into the marketplace as well as underlining the importance of intellectual property and incentives to develop compounds while establishing a strong generics business.

In May 2008, Pfizer said that high doses of Lipitor can help prevent heart attack, stroke and other major cardiovascular events.