Mumbai, July 19 :    Mumbai, July 19:  Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) moved closer towards the launch of its anti-depressant fluoxetine capsules when a US court ruling allowed it to sell the drug for six months. The boost came on a day when Novartis Pharma AG won rights to commercialise an anti-diabetic drug which had been licensed by the Hyderabad-based company to Novo Nordisk. DRL had been embroiled in a patent spat with Eli Lily over fluoxetine, a generic version of blockbuster anti-depressant drug Prozac, which is scheduled to go off-patent. The order was passed by the US Court of Appeals (Federal Circuit) in Washington after it rejected an Eli Lily appeal for fresh hearings into the dispute over Prozac. The drug can now be sold by DRL in 40 mg formulations for six months. 'A major hurdle in the launch of our 40 mg fluoxetine capsules under an exclusivity system is out of the way. We have moved a step closer towards full-scale marketing,' G V Prasad, chief executive officer of DRL, told The Telegraph. Barr Labs, a US drug firm, was also locked in a patent battle with Eli Lily over another generic version of Prozac. The US court had allowed Barr to market its copycat version. In effect, DRL has tied the final outcome of its case to the result of Barr's lawsuit. 'This will ensure that Dr Reddy's launches the product around the time Barr does it,' officials said. Pharmaceutical analysts welcomed the development, saying today's order will help DRL market the product earlier than expected. Its revenues from Prozac prototype in the six month exclusive period is expected to be $ 20 million. Investors upbeat at the two-way gain send the DRL scrip soaring to an intra-day high of Rs 1717.80 after opening at Rs 1590 in a buying binge ascribed to foreign funds. 'Some of the foreign funds have even recommended a buy and expect the stock to surpass the Rs 2,000-mark,' a broker said. WI Carr was one of the funds believed to have taken a shine to the share, though market circles some of the bullishness could also because of rumours about a bonus issue. The stock closed at Rs 1,666.30 in a 6 per cent gain over its previous finish.