Pfizer is charging that Teva and Ivax cost it billions of dollars by infringing its patent for the drug Neurontin (aka gabapentin) - meant to treat EPILEPSY. Teva and Ivax fire back that the patent is invalid as "it's an obvious variation of already expired patents" and that OPfizer was just trying to block competition.
PharmaGossip: Pfizer Blames Teva, Ivax for ’Billions’ in Losses From Neurontin Patent - Bloomberg.
Regardless say Teva and Ivax, Pfizer's sales derive from illegal marketing activity from promoting the drug for off-lable uses - including bipolar disorder, ADHD, Lou Gehrig's disease, and migraines. In fact the FDA already fined Warner-Lambert (the drug's inventor whom Pfizer acquired) $430 M for this off-label marketing plus hit Pfizer up for another $142 M this past January.
Maybe Pfizer should just drop its claim for restitution to $572 M ($430 M + $142 M) and try to break even? Novartis chose to settle some time ago to escape whatever part it had in the suit.
Posted by Bruce Lehr May 18th 2011.
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