Pfizer Inc announced that a federal court in the District of New Jersey (Newark) has upheld the three main US patents covering Celebrex, the company's selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicine used to treat pain and inflammation. Generic manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals USA had challenged the patents.

Judge John C Lifland ruled that the patents (Nos. 5,466,823; 5,563,165; and 5,760,068) covering the active ingredient, pharmaceutical composition and method of use for Celebrex are valid, enforceable and infringed by the generic manufacturer's product. The decision, which may be appealed, prohibits Teva from launching a competitor drug in the US until December 2015.

The FDA approved Celebrex in 1998. Its sales totalled $1.57 billion at the US in 2006.