> 
**Exhibit 99**

 

| For immediate release: | Media Contact:    |
|------------------------|-------------------|
| June 18, 2008          | Chris Loder       |
|                   | (212) 733-7897    |
|                   | Investor Contact: |
|                   | Suzanne Harnett   |
|                   | (212) 733-8009    |

> 
**PFIZER AND RANBAXY SETTLE       LIPITOR PATENT LITIGATION WORLDWIDE       - - -       Ranbaxy to Receive License in U.S. on November 30, 2011;      Pfizer to Host Conference Call Today at 9 a.m. EDT**

      NEW YORK, June 18 -- Pfizer Inc announced today that it has entered into      an agreement with generics manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. of India      and certain of its affiliates to settle substantially all their patent litigation      worldwide involving Lipitor, the world's most-prescribed cholesterol-lowering      medicine. Under the terms of the agreement, Ranbaxy will have a license      to sell generic versions of Lipitor and Caduet in the United States effective      November 30, 2011. Caduet is a medicine that combines the active ingredients      of Lipitor and Norvasc and treats both high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The settlement provides shareholders of Pfizer and Ranbaxy, as well as      patients, with substantial certainty regarding the potential date - November      30, 2011 - for entry of a generic version of Lipitor in the United States.      In addition, the agreement provides a license for Ranbaxy to sell generic      versions of Lipitor on varying dates in seven additional countries: Canada,      Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Australia. Pfizer and Ranbaxy      have also resolved their disputes regarding Lipitor in Malaysia, Brunei,      Peru and Vietnam. 

The lawsuits between Pfizer and Ranbaxy regarding Lipitor and Caduet will      be dismissed in the specified countries, and Ranbaxy will no longer contest      the validity of Pfizer's patents in the specified countries, including the      United States, according to the agreement. The settlement also resolves      all patent litigation with Ranbaxy relating to Accupril in the United States      and Viagra in Ecuador. 

"This agreement is a win-win-win because it is pro-patient, pro-competition      and pro-intellectual property," said Ian Read, president of Worldwide      Pharmaceutical Operations for Pfizer. "The agreement provides patients      with access to a generic product much earlier than if Ranbaxy were unsuccessful      in obtaining approval for its product and overcoming the relevant patents.      It provides substantial certainty regarding the timing of the entry of a      generic version of Lipitor. Finally, the agreement clearly reaffirms the      value and importance of intellectual property and this country's well-balanced      system of creating incentives to develop innovative medicines while at the      same time establishing a strong generic drug business."

"Without patents and rigorous defense of intellectual property rights,      innovators would face significant challenges that could inhibit the discovery      of new medicines," Mr. Read added. 

The settlement provides Ranbaxy with licenses to all the patents it needs      to make the generic product and enables Ranbaxy to manufacture and launch      a generic version of Lipitor prior to the expiration of the crystalline      and amorphous patents.       The Lipitor patents involved in this agreement are the basic compound patent,      which expires in the United States in 2010; the enantiomer patent, which      expires in the United States in 2011; as well as various process and crystalline      form patents, which expire in 2016 and 2017; and the combination patent      for Caduet, which expires in 2018. 

The settlement complies with all applicable laws, and does not contain      any of the practices - such as "reverse payments" - that have      been identified as of concern recently by the US Federal Trade Commission.    

Pfizer has been defending Lipitor patent challenges by Ranbaxy throughout      the world since 2003. The agreement pertains solely to Ranbaxy and its affiliates      and does not cover legal challenges to the Lipitor patents involving other      generic manufacturers. However, Ranbaxy was the first generic challenger      to the listed Lipitor patents and, as such, holds the rights to 180 days      of marketing exclusivity in the United States.

The patent infringement litigation between Pfizer and Ranbaxy relating      to Lipitor will continue in five other European countries -- Finland, Spain,      Portugal, Denmark and Romania. Court cases involving the enantiomer patents      are pending in Spain and Portugal, while an infringement action on the commercial      process patent is pending in Finland. Patent cases involving the enantiomer      patent are pending in Denmark and Romania. 

Pfizer invites investors and the general public to listen to a webcast      of a conference call with Pfizer's legal team at 9:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday,      June 18, 2008. The purpose of the call is to provide an overview of the      settlement.      Those who wish to participate can either call 1-866-331-6338 in the United      States or 1-347-284-6938 outside the United States. The passcode is "Pfizer."      Additionally, participants can listen to the webcast by visiting our web      site at www.pfizer.com and clicking on the Investor tab on our homepage.      Participants are advised to pre-register in advance of the webcast. 

**About Pfizer Inc**      Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical      company. Pfizer is taking new approaches to advancing better health as it      discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers quality, safe and effective      prescription medicines to treat and help prevent disease for both people      and animals. Pfizer also partners with healthcare providers, governments      and local communities around the world to expand access to medicines and      to provide better quality health care and health system support. At Pfizer,      approximately 85,000 colleagues in more than 90 countries work every day      to help people stay happier and healthier longer and to reduce the human      and economic burden of disease worldwide.

# # # # #