Pfizer says U.S. confirms patent on Lipitor

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has notified Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) it will confirm the patentability of claims on the drugmaker's basic patent for the company's blockbuster drug Lipitor, Pfizer said on Wednesday.

Patent officials had re-examined the patent, which expires in March 2010, at the request of a law firm representing generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd (RANB.BO), Pfizer said.

Pfizer said the decision affirms its position that the patent was properly granted. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf, editing by Maureen Bavdek)