How Pfizer Is Fighting Off the Patent Cliff

The patent cliff continues to pressure pharmaceutical stocks, as numerous high-profile drugs face a wave of patent expiration. Pfizer's Lipitor -- formerly the world's best-selling drug -- is under pressure from cheap generics but has managed to hold on to its blockbuster status. In its recent quarterly results Lipitor is still pulling its weight, racking up $545 million in sales, making it Pfizer's fifth-best selling drug.

In this segment from The Motley Fool's health care show Market Checkup, analysts David Williamson and Max Macaluso discuss how Pfizer is managing to decrease the steepness of Lipitor's patent cliff, which generic company is benefiting with Pfizer's blessing, and how a Supreme Court ruling may hurt future big pharma tactics.

Rising health care costs continue to be a hotly debated topic, and even legendary investor Warren Buffett called this trend "the tapeworm that's eating at American competitiveness." To learn more about what's happening to the health care system -- and how to potentially profit from this trend -- click here for free, immediate access.

Follow David on Twitter: @MotleyDavid.

The article How Pfizer Is Fighting Off the Patent Cliff originally appeared on Fool.com.

David Williamson owns shares of Pfizer. Follow David on Twitter: @MotleyDavid.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.