Lipitor Protected from Generic Competition in Australia until 2012
NEW YORK, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pfizer Inc said today that
the Australian Federal Court in Victoria has upheld the exclusivity of its
basic patent covering atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor. The
ruling, the culmination of a lawsuit filed in 2005 by generic drug
manufacturer Ranbaxy, includes an injunction against Ranbaxy's product and
preserves Lipitor's patent coverage in Australia through May 2012. Ranbaxy
can appeal the decision.
The court found that a proposed Ranbaxy generic product would infringe
Pfizer's basic Lipitor patent (AU 601,981). A second patent covering the
calcium salt of atorvastatin (AU 628,198), which expires in September 2012,
was ruled invalid by the court. Pfizer will appeal that ruling.
The Australian decision will not impact ongoing Lipitor patent actions
in other countries. Pfizer said it will continue to vigorously defend
against challenges to its intellectual property, noting that patents
provide the necessary incentive to invest in new and life-saving medicines
that benefit millions of patients globally.
SOURCE Pfizer Inc
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