DRL`s Objection To Release Of Chantix In The Indian Market Isn’t Yielding Results
Date: 9th May 2009
Soon after the launch of the quit smoking medicine chantix as champix in the Indian market by its manufacturer Pfizer in February 2008, Dr Reddy`s Laboratories (DRL) filed an application citing its opposition to Pfizer`s patent on Champix and also questioned the approval granted to Pfizer for making the medicine available for sale in the Indian market. Regarding the progress of the case, the officials of Dr Reddy`s Laboratories have declined to comment by referring to an impending board meeting but it has been clarified by specific sources that the case field by DRL hasn’t progressed.
One of the objections put forward by Dr Reddy`s Laboratories is that the international application claimed varenicline`s tartrate salt only while on the other hand, the Indian patent claimed the freebase. Altogether, DRL also stated that the claims granted to Pfizer regarding the sale of chantix in India are wider than the claims enlisted in the international application and therefore, they should be discarded. Dr Reddy`s Laboratories have also made it clear that though Pfizer claims Champix to be a novel medicine, it is just a new form of a known medicine Chantix.
Dr Reddy`s Laboratories filed the objection on May 24, 2008. Further, according to sources, Pfizer has also offered its response to the objections put forward by DRL but the responses stated by the chantix maker are not instantly available.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/ |
