Pfizer to appeal Canadian generic Lipitor ruling

NEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) said on Thursday it will appeal a Canadian Federal Court decision that denied its request to prevent the launch of a generic version of its top-selling Lipitor cholesterol medicine.

Despite the court ruling in favor of privately-held Canadian generic drugmaker Apotex, Pfizer said it would have no immediate commercial impact because Lipitor is protected by other patents in Canada, aside from the one Apotex successfully challenged. Those patents are also subject to pending legal challenges, the world's largest drugmaker said.

The ruling by the Canadian court has no impact on Lipitor patent litigation in other countries, Pfizer said.

Lipitor, the world's largest selling prescription drug, has annual sales of about $12 billion. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot)