Cipla prevails in Sutent patent dispute with Pfizer; puts hold on Cipla Medpro deal

The Indian patent office has again ruled in favor of domestic drugmaker Cipla (BSE: 500087), reinstating its earlier decision to revoke pharma behemoth Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) patent for kidney cancer agent Sutent (sunitinib) in India, Cipla counsel and managing partner of the law firm Singh & Singh, Prathiba Singh, told the local newspaper Business Standard.

Following a post-grant opposition by Cipla last year (The Pharma Letter October 8, 2012), the patent controller had rejected Pfizer’s claim for the patent over Sutent. The patent regulator had said the claimed patent did not involve any inventive step. However, after the rejection, Pfizer appealed in the Supreme Court, which reinstated the patent and returned the case to the patent office for a fresh hearing.

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