Ranbaxy partially wins over Lipitor patent
In a partial win for country's biggest drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories in the ongoing patent litigation with Pfizer over atorvastatin (Lipitor), a district court in Netherlands ruled in its favour in one of the patents, while invalidating another.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: In a partial win for country's biggest drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories in the ongoing patent litigation with Pfizer over atorvastatin (Lipitor), a district court in Netherlands ruled in its favour in one of the patents, while invalidating another.
A three judge panel in the District Court of Hague, Netherlands, ruled that (Pfizer) Warner Lambert's European patent 409 281 - covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin which had been challenged by Ranbaxy - was invalid in the Netherlands.
However, the panel ruled that Ranbaxy's atorvastatin product was infringing the broadest claims of Pfizer's European 247 633 in the Netherlands.
Ranbaxy said it was evaluating the decision and would decide on its course of action soon.
Pfizer, on the other hand, said the ruling of the panel prevents Ranbaxy from launching its drug before Lipitor's basic patent (EP 247,633), which expires in November 2011.
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In a statement on its website, Pfizer said the decisions by the Dutch court do not affect challenges to Lipitor patents pending in other countries, including the US.Start a SIP with as low as ₹500 with ET Money App!
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