Ranbaxy files suit against Pfizer

Leading Indian drug firm Ranbaxy has launched court battles in Britain and the US against the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for the rights to produce the cholesterol drug atorvastatin at a cheaper price and save the National Health Service billions of pounds a year.

Ranbaxy, which earned a revenue of $12 billion last year, is trying to invalidate Pfizer's patent, taking away its exclusive right to sell the drug, and market it itself in Britain and America, a media report said on Monday.

The battle will not be easy as Ranbaxy is fighting one of the most fearsome pharmaceutical companies in the world.

At present Judge Joseph Farnan in the US and Judge Pufrey in Britain are mulling over the legal arguments from Pfizer and Ranbaxy. They are highly complex arguments involving the chemical structure of the drug and the legal history of all patent claims.

Even if Ranbaxy loses the case, the magnitude of the savings involved mean there are other potential challengers.

The public patent foundation in the US is willing to take on the might of the drugs giants. It has already invalidated one patent on Lipitor by making a case to the US version of the patent office.

It refuses to comment on whether it will do the same on the other, stronger patents that Ranbaxy is taking on. But if the Indian firm loses its case, the charity could take on the job.

"We find substantial merit in the invalidity arguments made by Ranbaxy against (one) patent," said Dan Ravicher, an executive at PPF, according to a report in the 'Guardian'.