The ongoing challenge of Big-Pharma against the irruption of generics ends up in the sights of the Italian Antitrust. Pfizer, according to the documentation collected by the Authority, "arguably requested and obtained an extension of the patent coverage, through the request for a divisional patent which was followed by the request for a complementary protection certificate aimed at extending the protection until 2011". The active ingredient indicted is Latanoprost and the investigation that follows the EU commission's investigation into the sector stems from remarks raised by Ratiopharm, a German company that produces generics, which curiously Pfizer itself had attempted to acquire last spring. But it had been beaten to a close by the giant of generics, the Israeli Teva.
Finance&Markets – 27/10/2010
