Ranbaxy arm to challenge quinapril order

Ranbaxy Laboratories will file an appeal against a New Jersey district court order restraining Teva Pharmaceuticals and Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc (RPI) from selling RPI's quinapril tablets (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg) on a challenge filed by Pfizer.

According to a release issued by Ranbaxy to the BSE today, Pfizer claimed that RPI's quinapril tablets, which  have been marketed through an exclusivity relinquishment arrangement with  Teva, were infringing US Patent No 4,743,450 literally and under the doctrine of equivalents.

Jay Deshmukh, vice president (intellectual property) of Ranbaxy Labs, said in the release that while Teva and RPI will comply with the preliminary injunction, "they also will immediately file with the US Court of Appeals for the federal circuit an appeal to have the injunction lifted and a motion to expedite the appeal. "

He added that RPI is confident that it will, on appeal, be able to make a compelling argument in support of its non-infringement position.

RPI, which is based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Labs.