Ranbaxy invalidates Pfizer's Atorvastatin Patent in the Netherlands

Mumbai, Sept 13 (UNI) Ranbaxy Laboratories will invalidate Pfizer's patent of a cholesterol-lowering drug 'Atorvastatin' in compliance with the decision of the District Court of The Hague in the Netherlands.

Announcing this in a notice to BSE, Ranbaxy said it was handed down a decision in the Company's case against (Pfizer) Warner-Lambert over the cholesterol-lowering drug, 'Atorvastatin', which is marketed by Pfizer as Lipitor(r).

The three-judge panel held that (Pfizer) Warner-Lambert's European Patent 409 281 was invalid in the Netherlands. However, the Company's atorvastatin product was ruled to infringe the broadest claims of (Pfizer) Warner-Lambert's European Patent 247 633 in the Netherlands.

However, the Company is evaluating this decision and will decide on its course of action shortly.

UNI SN PM AG2004