What’s in a Drug Patent for Pfizer – There are several Court Cases are Challenging Others Too

The latest battle is with Pfizer and Mylan, a generic drug manufacturer going to court. Mylan is ready to go to market but not until Pfizer gives the go ahead and that date is in the year 2017. Pfizer is not the only one being challenged by any means, Merck has their issues with Singulair and Teva challenging their patent, so I ask what’s in a patent or intellectual property these days? Here’s a short lists of expiring patents of some of the major drugs. As you can see Lipitor is on the list for 2010 and Pfizer wants to extend that date a few years, like 6 more while they find their own sources to create a generic version.

2010
Pfizer's Lipitor, which is presently the best selling drug in the world with close to $12 billion in sales.
Wyeth's Effexor/XR which had $2.7 billion in peak U.S. sales.

2011
Bristol Myers/Sanofi's Plavix which had $5 billion in peak U.S. sales
Lilly/Takeda/Watson's Actos which had $4.4 billion in peak U.S. sales
Lilly's Zyprexis which had $2.6 billion in peak U.S. sales

2012
AstraZeneca's Seroquel which had $4.4 billion in peak U.S. sales
Merck's Singular/AR which had $3.4 billion in peak U.S. sales.

Here’s a related post about Merck in a similar legal battle: Merck and Teva Go to Court over Singulair Going Generic

The battle has only begun and the biosimilar drugs battle is yet to come. BD

Here Come the Bio Similar Drugs – Bill in Congress to allow Follow Me Provisions for the FDA

June 15 (Bloomberg) -- Pfizer Inc., the world’s biggest drugmaker, sued rival Mylan Inc. asking a judge to prohibit sales of a generic version of its cholesterol-fighting medicine Lipitor until 2017.

In federal court papers filed today in Wilmington, Delaware, lawyers for New York-based Pfizer contend a Mylan affiliate has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for permission to sell copies of Lipitor, the world’s best- selling drug, before three Pfizer patents expire. Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., India’s biggest drugmaker and majority owned by Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo Co., settled a lawsuit filed by Pfizer and plans to enter the market in November 2011. Pfizer already is suing Apotex Inc. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to prevent them from selling copies of the medicine before then.

Pfizer Sues Mylan Over Patents for Top-Drug Lipitor (Update2) - Bloomberg.com

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