PHARMACEUTICALS

Glaxo Loses Patent Fight Over Drug: A federal judge in North Carolina ruled that a generic drug maker can produce a lower-cost version of the profitable ulcer medicine Zantac. Judge Terrence Boyle rejected the claims made by Zantac’s maker, Glaxo Wellcome, that the generic rival would infringe on some of its patents. The ruling allows generic Schaumburg, Ill.-based Novapharm USA to go ahead with its plans and produce a generic alternative to Zantac, the most widely prescribed drug in the world, with total sales of $3.5 billion. Britain-based Glaxo Wellcome said it has strong grounds to appeal the court’s decision.