Pfizer request for Chinese Viagra name rejected

A court in Beijing rejected Pfizer's request to block a Chinese drug company from using the name “Wei Ge” for one of its products. Pfizer said “Wei Ge,” or “Mighty Brother,” was a name used by many Chinese to describe Viagra, making it improper for another company to use the name.

Pfizer intended to win the rights to the popular Chinese translation. Pfizer currently sells Viagra in China as “Wan Ai Ke.”

Pfizer has attempted to challenge Chinese companies it believes are copying the look of the pill and using variations of the drug name.

However, the court ruled last December that the Chinese drug company had registered the name and therefore had the right to use it. The court stated that although the name was a common translation, it did not give Pfizer the right to use it.