In an in-depth feature published today, Law.com reports on Indian generic pharma company Ranbaxy's assault on Pfizer's Lipitor (apparently the world's most prescribed drug). Pfizer is resisting the challenge to its patent and it will be some time before the outcome of this dispute is known.
Lipitor: good for lowering cholesterol levels; not so good for lowering the blood pressure of patent litigants
Curiously, the IPKat says, the author of the article describes Ranbaxy as the David to Pfizer's Goliath. This rather creates the impression that Ranbaxy, which makes its money by making and selling cheap versions of drugs that have been expensively and carefully tested by proprietary pharma companies, is some sort of small, weak outfit. Ranbaxy is however nothing of the sort. By the admission of its CEO, Brian Tempest,
"From a small domestic company at inception, we have grown formidably to be a Billion dollar institution".The company, which experienced 27% growth in the year ending December 2003, now employs 9,000 people. The IPKat expects that it can afford to tackle Pfizer in patent litigation without having to pass round the begging bowl.
Facts about cholesterol here and here
How cholesterol works here
Cholesterol joke here
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