Dr Reddy’s set to face Pfizer in court over patent suit
06 Jan 2011
Drug maker Dr Reddy's Laboratories is preparing to contest a patent infringement case filed against it by global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer over its cholesterol lowering drug atorvastatin, said a company spokesperson today.
On 27 December last year, Pfizer had moved the Delaware district court in the US against Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd and Dr Reddy's Laboratories Inc for infringement of Pfizer's crystalline atorvastatin patent.
Dr Reddy's seemed unfazed by the development. "We had anticipated that Pfizer would be filing suit on our 80 mg ANDA filing of Atorvastatin. If you recall, Dr Reddy's had previously submitted a filing for all other strengths of atorvastatin, for which Pfizer has already filed suit against Dr Reddy's," a spokesperson for Dr Reddy's Laboratories said.
Dr Reddy's had filed an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to market 80-mg dosage strength atorvastatin calcium.
Already, Pfizer and DRL are involved in patent infringement cases over 10mg, 20mg and 40mg strengths of atorvastatin calcium, which the US drug major sells under the Lipitor brand.
According to Pfizer, the Indian firm's plans to launch a generic version of the world's best-selling medicine will infringe upon its patent.
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