Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (WPI) said Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is suing Watson to prevent the generic drug maker from selling a knock-off version of Viagra.
The company said Thursday it has applied for regulatory approval to sell its sildenafil citrate tablets, a generic version of Pfizer's erectile-dysfunction treatment.
But it said Pfizer filed suit Wednesday to prevent Watson's commercializing the competitor prior to a patent expiration.
A Pfizer representative wasn't able to comment immediately on the matter.
Viagra accounted for $1.93 billion in sales for Pfizer last year, representing about 2.8% of total revenue.
Watson shares were up 0.2% at $64.04 after hours while Pfizer's were up 1 cent at $21.01.
Why does Watson think they're gonna get a bye on the patent restriction one microsecond before it expires? I could see it if Viagra were a sovereign cure for every STD known to man, or some other highly desirable cure where Pfizer could be demonized for not providing it gratis, but not Viagra.