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Pfizer loses step in suit over Lipitor

Pfizer Inc. lost its petition to temporarily stop United Laboratories Inc., the largest Philippine drugmaker, from selling a generic copy of its high-cholesterol medication Lipitor there while a patent infringement case is pending.

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Pfizer Inc. lost its petition to temporarily stop United Laboratories Inc., the largest Philippine drugmaker, from selling a generic copy of its high-cholesterol medication Lipitor there while a patent infringement case is pending.

"The Lipitor patent is valid and enforceable until September 2012," said Neena Moorjani, a spokeswoman for Pfizer, which is based in New York but has operations in the Philadelphia region after acquiring Wyeth in October.

Pfizer filed a patent infringement case against United Laboratories in October, asking the court to stop the local drugmaker from selling its version of Lipitor because the Philippine patent on the main ingredient hasn't expired yet. Lipitor is among Pfizer's top three drugs in the Philippines.    - Bloomberg News