Lipitor: Pfizer Patent May Be Cut Short

According to Reuters, a federal appeals court may cut short the patent expiration date for Pfizer’s blockbuster drug, Lipitor. The U.S. Appeals Court cancelled one of the two patents in the case, which may result in Lipitor’s patent expiration date moving up from June 2011 to March 2010.

A brand name drug will usually lose 80% of the market when generic drugs become available. Pfizer stands to lose billions of dollars as Lipitor’s sales have reached $12 billion USD annually, making it the world’s biggest selling drug.