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June 2006»

Pfizer wins Viagra protection in China

June 5, 2006

Pfizer Inc, the world's largest drugmaker, won the right to be the sole seller of its impotence drug Viagra in China, stopping a dozen Chinese companies from selling cheaper copies.

A Beijing court overturned a 2004 decision by China's patent review board that permitted the Chinese drugmakers to sell copies, Pfizer spokesman Paul Fitzhenry said in a telephone interview on Saturday. The ruling will benefit Pfizer because it may mean better patent protection for the 20 drugs it plans to start selling in China by 2010, Fitzhenry said.

"We see the decision as an encouraging development for all knowledge-based companies like Pfizer who want to bring innovative products to the Chinese market," Fitzhenry said.