Posted by krybrahaha on June 4, 2004, at 23:38:56
The future of Neurontin is unclear due to Pfizer's current patent situation. In an effort to extend its patent life of Neurontin, Pfizer wants to replace Neurontin with its new up and coming blockbuster product Pregabalin. Pfizer believes that by replacing Neurontin with Pregabalin that the present patent on Neurontin will cover the replacement for 17 years. Faulding, an international pharmaceutical company with generic drug business disagrees with Pfizer. Faulding is the first company to introduce a generic gabapentin and has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer for its attempt at an extended patent on Neurontin and/or Pregabalin. If the courts rule in favor of Faulding and it gets it's drug to the U.S. market first, it will enjoy six months of exclusivity according to U.S. law. After the six months are up, any company can make and sell generic gabapentins in the United States. If the courts rule in favor of Pfizer, it will enjoy 17 years of exclusive rights to sell Pregabalin without generics being released in the United States.
Is Pfizer gonna release pregabalin and stop makin neurontin? What i get out of this article is that pfizer wants everyone who takes neurontin to take pregabalin when it comes out and that neurontin wont have any generics made and wont be made anymore--is that what this article is saying?
poster:krybrahaha
thread:353950
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040602/msgs/353950.html