(Update adds analyst comment, details and updates share price)
MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. was trading over 5
percent lower after India's largest pharma company agreed to bury the hatchet
with US giant Pfizer Inc. and settle a patent dispute over blockbuster
cholesterol drug Lipitor.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ranbaxy will have a license to sell
generic versions of Lipitor and Caduet in the United States, as of Nov. 30,
2011. Ranbaxy will have exclusive marketing rights for 180 days. Ranbaxy will
also be able to sell generic versions of Lipitor in Canada, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Australia.
Pfizer and Ranbaxy have also resolved their disputes regarding Lipitor in
Malaysia, Brunei, Peru and Vietnam, and regarding hypertension drug Accupril in
the United States and Viagra in Ecuador.
However, litigation between the two companies relating to Lipitor will
continue in five other European countries -- Finland, Spain, Portugal, Denmark
and Romania, Ranbaxy said in a statement.
Pfizer's Lipitor generated nearly $13 billion in sales during 2007, while
Caduet generated nearly $400 million.
"(Yhe) share fell as the market had expected that the case would get settled
in favour of Ranbaxy in March 2010," said Ranjit Kapadia, analyst at Prabhudas
Lilladher.
Ranbaxy's revenue upside from the settlement of Lipitor would have been $1.5
billion from December 2011 till May 2012, Kapdia added.
The settlement comes days after Japan's Daiichi Sankyo said it will acquire
a controlling stake in Ranbaxy for up to $4.6 billion to strengthen its overseas
prescription drug business -- a deal touted to be the largest among listed
Indian companies.
Daiichi Sankyo is expected to acquire Ranbaxy shares in the open market for
737 rupees per share, representing a 31.4 percent premium to the stock's closing
price on June 10.
At 12.24 am local time, Ranbaxy's shares were trading 5.5 percent down at
565.30 rupees on the Bombay Stock Exchange, while Pfizer's India unit Pfizer
Ltd. shares traded higher by 1.32 percent at 631.55 rupees.
The benchmark Sensex was down 2.14 percent at 15,092.36.
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