Ranbaxy ends patent dispute

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has won 180 days of exclusive rights to sell a generic form of GlaxoSmithKline’s Valtrex in the United States after resolving a patent row, sending its shares up as much as 10 per cent on Thursday.

The country’s biggest drug maker by sales expected strong gains after resolving the patent litigation with Glaxo, and also expected to win similar exclusive rights for at least one drug every year for the next four years, chief executive officer Malvinder Singh said.

“There is a very big upside. It is a $1.3 billion product today and growing at the rate of 20%,” Singh said of Valtrex, which is used to treat herpes infections.

Read more at Financial Express

Ranbaxy in Lipitor patent suit with Pfizer in 17 countries

NEW DELHI: India’s largest drug-maker Ranbaxy has locked horns with the US-based world’s largest drug-maker Pfizer in 17 countries over infringement of patent of the latter’s blockbuster cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor. The company’s launch of the atorvastatin (the generic drug of Lipitor) is crucial in its plan to generate nearly $2 billion in sales over the next five-six years.The countries where Ranbaxy is into litigations with Pfizer for atorvastatin include the US, the UK, Norway, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Australia. Lipitor is the world’s largest selling drug with sales worth about $13 billion last year. The patent for Lipitor expires in 2010. During 2004-05, Ranbaxy had to reportedly shell out around Rs 160 crore to fight against Pfizer’s Lipitor drug. Ranbaxy has about 20 first-to-file (FTF) applications pending in the US, of which about 10 are in litigations — with atorvastatin being the big bet. FTF gives 180-day exclusive marketing period along with the patent holder.

Read more at Economic Times

Ranbaxy gets tenative US nod for zolpidem

MUMBAI: Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd said on Friday it had received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market zolpidem tablets, used to treat insomnia.

Ranbaxy, Cipla in bids for Merck`s generic biz

Leading Indian drug makers Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd and Cipla Ltd have submitted bids to acquire the generic drugs business, estimated to be worth $6 billion, of German pharma major Merck KGaA.

Ranbaxy is approaching the bidding race on its own and Cipla is part of a consortium of private equity partners. Cipla’s safe play seems to have impressed the market as its scrip rose 1.57 per cent to Rs 236.35 at the close of trading on the Bombay Stock Exchange today. The Ranbaxy scrip declined one per cent to Rs 320.65.

Confirming the development, Amar Lulla, joint managing director, Cipla, said the company is not planning any investments in the deal but would be the technical partner to a consortium. He declined to provide further details.

Ranbaxy confirmed that it “has made a non-binding bid for the asset, at a value it considers fair and reasonable.” Malvinder Singh, CEO and MD, said, “We are looking to evaluate the asset and are going to be practical about it. We are not in a rat race for acquisitions but are focused on creating value for our shareholders.” Read more in Business Standard