Jury says Pfizer does not infringe Synthon patent

A federal court jury in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) has ruled unanimously that global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer does not infringe Synthon IP's US patent covering a process for making amlodipine, the active ingredient in Norvasc, which the drug major says is the world's most-prescribed branded medicine for treating hypertension. The jury also found that the patent is invalid on multiple grounds, said Pfizer.

The news, on August 17, caused Pfizer's share price to rise $0.25 to $27.00 on the New York Stock Exchange. The "unanimous decisions underscore our determination to defend our products against unwarranted attacks and to support research-based medical innovations that benefit millions of patients," said Allen Waxman, Pfizer's general counsel.

Synthon IP, the US subsidiary of Dutch firm Synthon BV, brought its suit against Pfizer in November 2005, asserting that the US major infringed a Synthon patent issued in 2003. This patent, Synthon claimed, covered Pfizer's process for making amlodipine - a process the latter company says it had not only published but has been using for over 15 years.