Pfizer has won the final round in its fight to keep control of its blockbuster drug Lipitor. The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that declared Ranbaxy was infringing on Pfizer's patents for Lipitor, which earned $12.9 billion in revenue last year. An appeals court decided that the patents protected Pfizer until March of 2010.
Also, two subsidiaries of Pfizer have agreed to pay $34.7 million to settle a government investigation of an alleged kickback scheme. Prosecutors said the subs paid an extra $12.3 million in the hope that the PBM would recommend its drug over the therapies of Pfizer's competitors. Pharmacia & Upjohn agreed to plead guilty to one count of offering a kickback.
- read this release on the kickback settlement
- here's the CNN report