NEW YORK, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pfizer Inc said today that a federal court jury in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) has ruled unanimously that Pfizer does not infringe Synthon IP’s U.S. patent covering a process for making amlodipine, the active ingredient in Norvasc. Norvasc is the world’s most-prescribed branded medicine for treating hypertension.
The jury also found that the patent is invalid on multiple grounds.
“Today’s unanimous decisions underscore our determination to defend our products against unwarranted attacks and to support research-based medical innovations that benefit millions of patients,” said Allen Waxman, Pfizer’s general counsel.
Synthon IP, a U.S. subsidiary of Dutch company Synthon BV, brought its suit against Pfizer in November 2005, asserting that Pfizer infringed a Synthon patent issued in 2003. This patent, Synthon claimed, covered Pfizer’s process for making amlodipine -- a process Pfizer had not only published but has been using for over 15 years.
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CONTACT: Bryant Haskins for Pfizer, +1-212-733-8719
Web site: http://www.pfizer.com/
