Associated Press | Pfizer Inc. has filed a lawsuit against a rival drug maker that plans to introduce a generic version of Viagra. Pfizer alleges in its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Norfolk that Teva Pharmaceuticals plans to roll out its version of sildenafil citrate in 2012, which Pfizer says would violate one of its patents.
If Teva succeeds, it would cut into Pfizer’s sales of its erectile-dysfunction drug, worth more than $1 billion annually.
New York-based Pfizer has asked the court to bar Teva from making or
distributing a generic version of Viagra before 2019. Teva is based in
Israel.
Teva spokeswoman Denise Bradley declined to comment on the lawsuit. A Pfizer spokesman didn’t comment Tuesday.
Given Obama’s recent Health Care bill, us taxpayers need a break. Competition is good in the drug market…no matter what drug.
competition would be a real boner for Pfizer.
Thank goodness for the passage of the health care bill and for it’s coverage of the previously uninsured and un-insurable. Now it’s time to fight companies like Pfizer from over charging and over complicating our proper access to pharmaceuticals. Now that our taxes on the national level are lower than they were under the Bush administration, and the wealthy are finally going to pay their fair share, it’s time to regulate the drug companies and remind them that dealing with the American public isn’t a right, it’s a privilege.
Per wikipedia, the patent expires in 2011-2013 (not sure why the range), so it looks like a more affordable rooster booster is on its way. Pfizer knew it would run out one day, they just have to roll out their own generic brand and cover both ends.
It’s hard to see how Pfizer expects to prevail in this case.
Pfizer needs some stiff competition.
The date range for patent expiration is because there are multiple patents covering the product. Each may cover a different aspect of the product/method of manufacture/etc.
One thing that will happen in the lawsuit is that the generic (Teva) will try to argue that one or more of those patents is invalid or doesn’t actualy cover the product for some reason. If they prevail, that would hasten the availability of the generic.
To the question of why sue if they are about to expire anyway, you should know that each day/week/month of patent term is worth $$$. Companies like Pfizer spend tons of time and money trying to maximize their patent term, even down to the day. So even a patent that expires next year still has some spring in its step.
Don in Plainfield – are you for real? Do you know it costs $1 billion to bring a drug to market? Who do you think is going to pay for all the research? Those who want/have to take a drug have to pay the price. If you really want to blame someone for the high costs, look at the FDA AND people who sue pharmaceutical companies for “not protecting them” from side effects. There are side effects to everything, so you have to take a risk or not. Up to you.
These pills cost about 10 bones apiece for a prescription. Anyone can get them over-seas for about 1.33 each! Do the math….why pay so much more? Sildenafil Citrate is the generic drug. It’s like Bayer telling someone that they can’t distribute aspirin! It’s so…so hard.
Pfizer is really stuck between a boner and a hard place.
Pfizer is trying to stiff the consumer.
Their massive profit’s are going into the pockets of investors that hope for more maintenance drugs, not cures. If what drug companies were doing was so virtuous, why do they spend so much money to tell us how “concerned” for us they are. All profits should be regulated and taxed forcing reinvestment for more cures and treatments. Your inability to see that there is no incentive to cure a disease shows the level that the drug companies have succeeded at their PR campaigns. There is a balance of profit and cure that can be met. Blind, unregulated capitalism isn’t designed to help people. It is designed to enrich a few while delaying true cures and treatments. I’m not saying that they do everything wrong, but profit over people and health is an evil motive.
“competition would be a real boner for Pfizer.”
Dude, hang your head in shame over that one…..!
Don,
There is no collusion of the drug companies researching and marketing “maintenance drugs” vs. providing cures. That is pure nonsense!
The “free market” drives “innovation”. If there is not a free market, there will be no incentive for these companies to invest/research in future therapies that would benefit the public. World class drugs just don’t fall off of trees.
As I understand it, Obamacare makes it easier for drug companies to retain patent rights to new drugs. This, of course, helps increase drug costs. If you want to support a coup that removes Democrats from office, please insure that you never vote Democrat again. I can’t believe that labor unions, if the teacher unions suffering mass layoffs, support the morons in office!
This litigation is the obligatory foreplay for the real action: the settlement agreement between Pfizer and Teva. Under the settlement agreement, Pfizer will pay Teva to refrain from manufacturing the drug for 15 to 18 or more months. During the 15 to 18 months, Teva and Pfizer will have the mutual pleasure of screwing the people who take Viagra, the health plans that pay for it, and other generic manufacturers who will be restrained from selling generic Viagra.
Patents are a legal monopoly for a fixed period of time. Through this litigation and ultimate settlement action, two private parties (Pfizer and Teva)are effectively agreeing to extend the length of patent in contravention of the interests of We, the people, who arguably granted the patent in the first place by action of law. Pfizer will pay Teva less to settle than it gains in additional revenue for its “quasi” brand drug; Teva will get paid to do nothing for 15 to 18 months; and then Teva will exercise its 6 month exclusivity period. In the 6 months exclusivity period Teva will price its generic version at 90% of the cost of the branded Viagra. When the six month exclusivity period expires, other manufacturers will enter the market and the price of the generic will fall to be about 35% of the price of the branded drug.
End result: During the 24 or so months during which there is no generic available, We will direct $2 billion to Pfizer and Teva that we could use to reduce premium costs or spend on other health care expenses. Why isn’t the Attorney General representing our interests in these matters? Why can two corporate citizens game the law to privately agree to extend a patent?
Hey Don in Plainfield -
You do realize Obama and the Dems granted the drug companies extensions to their patents, so we will pay HIGHER drug prices, all to pay them off for their support.
The government makes all kind of research available to the drug companies for free. The drug companies then turn around and profit on research that was done on our tax dollars. What a sweet deal for them. And yes, we need some kind of price control on drugs like every other industrialized country has, which is why drugs are so much more affordable in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Japan…
This case would be a hard one…
I feel if the jury confusion lasts more than four hours they should consult a physician.
That’s what she said!