Setback for Ranbaxy in Lipitor case against Pfizer in Canada

World's biggest drugmaker Pfizer today said a Canadian court had ruled in its favour, upholding patent for a molecule of its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, thereby preventing Indian rival Ranbaxy Laboratories from launching a generic version till 2010.

The Federal Court of Appeal of Canada has reversed a lower court ruling that held that Pfizer's enantiomer patent could not block generic manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd from obtaining approval for a competitor product to Lipitor, the company said in a statement.

The appellate court issued an order prohibiting regulatory approval of Ranbaxy's product in Canada until Pfizer's enantiomer (calcium salt) patent (Canadian Patent No 2,021,546) expired in July 2010, the company added.

"This decision sends a strong signal about the importance of protecting intellectual property in Canada, which provides the incentive for research-driven pharmaceutical companies to make the significant high-risk investments necessary to develop new life-saving medicines," Pfizer senior vice-president and associate general counsel Peter Richardson said.

The court's ruling is not only an important one for Pfizer, but also for patients, he added.