Pfizer gets favorable ruling in Viagra patent case in China:


Jun. 5, 2006 (China Knowledge) - A Beijing court has upheld drug giant Pfizer's patent for Viagra, ruling against China’s patent review board, reported Associated Press.

According to the report, an official at the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on Monday confirmed the decision but said she could not provide other information.

New York-based Pfizer Inc. appealed in 2004 against a decision by the patent review board supporting the claims of at least a dozen Chinese drug companies for the right to make sildenafil citrate, the main active ingredient in the anti-erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

Many local drug companies have been aggressively challenging patents in hopes of being allowed to market generic copies without having to pay royalties.

The court ruling also signified China’s efforts to protect intellectual property and protect patents, as part of its agreement when it entered the World Trade Organization in 2001.