Pfizer Trovan

Executive Summary

Pfizer must stop using the name Trovan for its trovafloxacin/alatrofloxacin antibiotic as of Oct. 16, Los Angeles federal court Judge Lourdes Baird rules Feb. 24 in a trademark infringement suit brought by the British device company Trovan. The judge denied Trovan's request for an immediate injunction as well as its motion for treble damages or Pfizer's profits from the antibiotic. Pfizer plans to appeal and said it will consider asking for a stay of the injunction if a decision has not been reached by Oct. 16. The ruling requires Pfizer to "take immediate steps to...destroy all written marketing and promotional materials"; however Pfizer said it is not affected by that provision since it had previously stopped promoting Trovan after agreeing to limit use of the drug following reports of liver toxicity. In an earlier phase of the case in October, a jury found Pfizer guilty of trademark infringement and ordered the firm to pay $143 mil. to Trovan (1"The Pink Sheet" Oct. 18, 1999, p. 11)