Company Watch

Lupin wins Ramipril product patent challenge

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Lupin has announced that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has reversed a district court decision on Ramipril in its favor, finding the Aventis patent on Ramipril invalid. Aventis owns the 722 patent in question, with King Pharmaceuticals marketing the drug under the name Altace. Ramipril is one of the ACE inhibitors, which are useful for treating high blood pressure. The revenues for Altace were over $900 million in the US (IMS MAT Jun 2007). "We are really pleased that we won the appeal," said Dr Kamal K Sharma, Managing Director, Lupin "We are in the process of determining when we can enter the market. We believe that this is a land-mark decision and is strong testament of our IP capabilities."