US patent office rejects Pfizer plea on Lipitor to give Ranbaxy shot in the arm
After consecutive litigation losses against Pfizer in its bid to grab a market share of the world's largest selling drug, Lipitor, Ranbaxy can now breathe easy. Last week, the Indian company got a shot in the arm, with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issuing a a preliminary rejection of Pfizer's request for reissue of a patent for Lipitor. The verdict gives Ranbaxy hope to launch the cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor as early as March 2010.