More court rulings safeguard Lipitor

Following Pfizer's success against Ranbaxy's challenges against its atorvastatin (Lipitor) patent in the UK and the US, the Court of First Instance in Madrid, Spain, brought more good news for the company when it ruled that the patents for Lipitor are valid and enforceable. The case was brought by Ratiopharm Espana and will be an important indicator for forthcoming challenges by other Spanish generics firms. In another ruling, a challenge brought under Andean Pact Law against Pfizer's Venezuelan patents for the crystalline form of atorvastatin and the process for its manufacture was dismissed by an Andean court, giving Pfizer protection against further challenges in Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela.