(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pfizer Inc announced today that a federal court in the District of New Jersey (Newark) has upheld the three main U.S. patents covering Celebrex, the company’s selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicine used to treat pain and inflammation. The patents had been challenged by generic manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals USA.

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 U.S. until December 2015.

Celebrex was approved by the FDA in 1998. Its sales totaled $1.57 billion in the U.S in 2006.