Pfizer Wins Canadian Order Blocking Generic Version of Lipitor

From Bloomberg:
Pfizer Inc., the world's biggest drugmaker, won a Canadian appeals court ruling blocking regulatory approval of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.'s generic version of the cholesterol pill Lipitor.

Canada's Federal Court of Appeal yesterday reversed a lower-court ruling that Ranbaxy could seek approval for its competing version of Lipitor before Pfizer's patent expires in 2010, Pfizer spokeswoman Vanessa Aristide said in a phone interview.

Ranbaxy, India's largest drugmaker, also challenged Lipitor patents in the Netherlands. Pfizer said in February it would appeal a Dutch ruling invalidating one of its patents covering Lipitor, the world's best-selling medicine with ales of $12.7 billion last year. Ranbaxy can appeal yesterday's ruling to Canada's Supreme Court. The order doesn't apply to litigation in other countries, including the U.S., Aristide said. ...more

Pfizer vows to fight Canadian firm's version of Lipitor

Could we be seeing a Canadian generic version of Lipitor available in 2008? I suspect that this is merely one skirmish in a long legal battle between Apotex and Pfizer.

From the Canadian Press:
US drug giant Pfizer said Thursday it will appeal a Canadian federal court decision paving the way for the pharmaceutical firm Apotex to launch a generic version of its anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor.

The court had previously denied Pfizer's request to prevent Apotex from launching a generic version of Lipitor prior to the expiration of a Pfizer patent in July 2010.

The drug (atorvastatin calcium) has generated 13 billion dollars in sales worldwide for Pfizer, making it the leading cholesterol-lowering medication. ...more