Madrid, Spain Court of Appeal Confirms Pfizer's Patent Claims
NEW YORK, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pfizer Inc said today that
the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued an opinion upholding, in its
entirety, the company's calcium salt patent covering Lipitor. The opinion
was provided at the request of a Spanish court that is hearing a patent
infringement case filed against Pfizer by generic manufacturer Ranbaxy.
The EPO rejected arguments by Ranbaxy that a patent covering
atorvastatin calcium, the active ingredient in Lipitor, is invalid for
"lack of novelty" and "lack of inventive step." The opinion had been
requested by the Commercial Court number 4 in Barcelona, and will be among
several expert views the court will consider before rendering a decision in
the pending litigation. Lipitor is sold in Spain under the brand names
Zarator and Cardyl.
In another case involving the atorvastatin calcium patent, the Court of
Appeal in Madrid has rejected an appeal filed by generic manufacturer
Ratiopharm. The court's decision confirms the validity of Pfizer's patent
claims under the agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization.
Pfizer said it will continue to vigorously defend its intellectual
property rights against infringement.
SOURCE Pfizer Inc
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