Appeals court strikes down Pfizer's patent for Norvasc

My mother takes this. Good news for my mother and bad news for Pfizer. :)

Pfizer Inc.'s patent on the hypertension drug Norvasc was invalidated by an appeals court, opening the way for generic competition. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington yesterday held invalid the patent on the drug's key ingredient, amlodipine besylate, overturning a January, 2006, ruling. Pfizer said it may appeal the decision. The patent on the drug expires in September, and Mylan Laboratories Inc. has final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market a generic version.

Norvasc is a calcium channel blocker that selectively blocks calcium ion reflux across cell membranes of cardiac and vascular smooth muscle without changing the serum calcium concentration. It decreases peripheral vascular resistance and increasing cardiac output. The generic name is amlodipine.