Lipitor Goes Generic on 11/30/11

There’s still a few years left, but time for Pfizer to focus on other research projects and of course investing more in biotech industries. Who knows where health care will be when Lipitor comes off the protected patent list and personalized medicine might even be more of a factor at that time as well. BD

Start the countdown. On Nov. 30, 2011, Lipitor, the biggest selling drug of all time, will face generic competition. Pfizer, which sells the cholesterol drug, has been battling generics manufacturer Ranbaxy to protect the Lipitor cash cow for a few more years. Ranbaxy had been pushing to sell the drug in 2010, when the basic patent expires; Pfizer had argued that various other patents should keep the drug locked up until 2016. Now the companies have settled their legal fight an