Legal News:Ranbaxy denied Lipitor rehearing

Ranbaxy denied Lipitor rehearing​

MUMBAI: In a major blow to Delhi-based pharma major Ranbaxy, a US appeals court has denied a rehearing of its patent challenge to Pfizer's cholesterol- lowering drug, Lipitor. Lipitor is the world's best-selling prescription drug, raking in more than $12 billion in sales annually.

The US appeals court declined to review a previous ruling in August, when Pfizer won the main patent covering atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor, until March 2010. Ranbaxy had appealed the decision.

The company can now approach the US supreme court, though analysts maintain that the firm might not, given the fact that the domestic major has already spent millions of dollars on its Para IV challenge to Lipitor.

The ongoing battle between Pfizer and Ranbaxy has seen many ups and downs. In December 2005, a US trial court had upheld both Pfizer's patents.

In August, Austrian patent office too had confirmed the patent's validity. In September, Pfizer won a ruling in The Netherlands, preventing Ranbaxy from releasing a generic version.

In August, US appeals court supported the challenge by Ranbaxy over another patent that expires in 2011. While the 2010 patent is the basic patent for Lipitor, the 2011 patent is for a calcium salt of Lipitor.
http://timesofindia .indiatimes. com/articleshow/ 132523.cms