Tetracycline litigation

In late 1958, the U.S. government charged Pfizer and American Cyanamid with price fixing in connection with tetracycline.

To keep that threat in check, the indictment alleges, Cyanamid bought out Heyden's rights to the development and agreed to help Pfizer get the tetracycline patent.

In return, charges the Justice Department, Pfizer licensed Cyanamid to produce the drug.

Later, to avoid a court fight that might have nullified the patent, Pfizer and Cyanamid let Bristol-Myers in.

[2] The Federal Trade Commission found that the cross-license, combined with the fact that Pfizer had withheld information that it knew or should have known was relevant to the patentability of tetracycline, constituted an attempt by Pfizer and American Cyanamid to share in an unlawful monopoly.