Ranbaxy Labs gets a reprieve on Lipitor

Pfizer plea denied in Canadian court.

Pfizer Inc, the world's biggest drug-maker, has said a Canadian federal court had denied a request to block approval for a generic version of Lipitor, the company's No. 1 drug, by Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.

The ruling involved a patent covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor, which would expire in July of 2010, New York-based Pfizer said today in a statement.

The company will appeal the court's decision, the statement said. Spokesman Bryant Haskins didn't immediately return calls.

Lipitor, a cholesterol drug, accounts for almost half of Pfizer's profits. Sales of Lipitor, which is the world's largest selling drug, were $3.34 billion in the fourth quarter.

The Canadian court's ruling would not have an immediate impact because Ranbaxy was involved in other patent litigation with Pfizer, according to the statement.

The ruling would also not affect Lipitor patent cases in other countries, Pfizer said. The court in Toronto ruled separately that Pfizer's basic patent covering atorvastatin would be infringed by Ranbaxy. That patent would expire in May, Pfizer said.

Shares of Pfizer fell 46 cents to $26.36 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock has risen 10 per cent in the past 12 months.