Ranbaxy Laboratories gets favorable decision in Australian Federal Court against Pfizer's Atorvastatin patent

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has announced that the Federal Court of Australia on December 20, 2006 handed down a favorable decision in the company’s case against Pfizer regarding Pfizer’s Australian Atorvastatin patent 628198. Atorvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug which is marketed by Pfizer as Lipitor®.

Justice Neil Young ruled that one of Pfizer’s patents is invalid for false suggestion and misrepresentation in obtaining the grant of Australian patent 628198 ,but said that the Company's atorvastatin product infringes another Pfizer patent. The Court’s ruling followed a trial in Melbourne which took place from October 09 to 23 2006. The invalidity of Pfizer’s Australian patent 628198 was principally based on the Pfizer’s representation to the Australian Patent Office that the potency of the R-enantiomer (atorvastatin) in relation to its ability to inhibit production of cholesterol was unexpectedly 10-fold more than that of the corresponding racemic material. This representation was held to be "false and misleading."

Jay Deshmukh, the Company's Senior Vice President - Global Intellectual Property, noted, "We are pleased with this decision as it stands, as it advances the entry of Ranbaxy’s generic atorvastatin in Australia to May 18, 2012."

Source : Equity Bulls

Keywords