Pfizer Sues Ranbaxy to Block Generic Diflucan

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Daily HIV/AIDS Report

In The Courts | Pfizer Sues Indian Drugmaker Ranbaxy to Block Generic

Diflucan [Jun 06, 2002]

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. has sued the Indian drug maker

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. to block its FDA application to sell a

generic version of Pfizer's brand name antifungal treatment Diflucan,

Bloomberg/Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Ranbaxy claims that

Pfizer's patent, which covers the chemical compound for the drug

fluconazole, is invalid. Pfizer says that the patent for the drug,

which earns $1 billion per year, is valid and that Ranbaxy would

infringe upon it if the FDA were to approve the company's application

to sell a generic version.

In February, a federal judge in Illinois upheld Pfizer's Diflucan

patent after Ontario-based generic drug maker Novopharm Ltd. sought

FDA approval to sell fluconazole. Pfizer, which had filed suit

against Novopharm for patent infringement, said Ranbaxy has been

notified of that ruling (Decker, Bloomberg/Memphis Commercial Appeal,

6/6).

Pfizer distributes Diflucan free of charge to people with AIDS in six

African nations (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/3/01). Ranbaxy

provides generic antiretroviral drugs at discounted prices to several

African countries (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/22).

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=11559

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