Pfizer: court upholds Lipitor patent |
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Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:31
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NEW YORK (AP) - Drug maker Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday a Spanish court upheld a patent covering the active ingredient in its blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor, reversing a lower court decision.The decision by the Court of Appeal of Barcelona follows a patent challenge by Novartis AG's generic unit Lek Pharmaceuticals D.D.Pfizer said Lek's challenge is one of four others by generic companies in Spain to the calcium salt patent, which covers Lipitor's active ingredient. Pfizer said the calcium salt patent expires in July 2010.Pfizer said Lek can appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Spain.Third-quarter sales of Lipitor, known in Spain as Zarator and Cardyl, fell 5 percent to $3.2 billion from a year ago, amid rising generic drug competition.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Spanish court rules in favor of Pfizer in patent dispute 