Spanish court upholds Pfizer's Lipitor patent
A Spanish court has upheld Pfizer's enantiomer patent covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor, which is sold in Spain under the brand names Zarator and Cardyl.
A Spanish court has upheld Pfizer's enantiomer patent covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor, which is sold in Spain under the brand names Zarator and Cardyl.
The Commercial Court of First Instance Number 4 in Barcelona, which issued the ruling, found a second patent covering a stabilised formulation that includes atorvastatin is invalid.
The patents were challenged by generic manufacturer Ranbaxy.
This case is the fourth in a series of challenges to the calcium salt patent by generic companies in Spain. The patent was upheld in one of three previous cases and found invalid in two others. All the previous decisions are currently on appeal.
The calcium salt patent expires in July 2010 and the stabilised formulation patent expires in December 2013.
Ranbaxy can appeal the decision.