Pfizer announces Lipitor patent reissue

Pfizer has announced that the patent for its cholesterol pill Lipitor has been reissued.

The patent was originally questioned when Ranbaxy tried to gain approval for a generic version of the drug.

A court of appeals ruling in 2006 found that the patent covering a specific protein included a reference to a different claim in the patent, the Associated Press said.

Following this week’s development, Pfizer has to pay $1,510 to have the patent reissued. It will be effective until June 2011.

“We have said all along that we had strong arguments for securing the reissue of the patent and after a vigorous and thorough examination, the patent office agreed with this conclusion,” said Ray Kerins, a spokesperson for the company.

Lipitor’s generic name is atorvastatin and it is used as a treatment to reduce increased LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and triglycerides.

It is reported to be one of the most widely-used products manufactured by Pfizer, which was established in 1849 in New York but now operates across the globe.