Generic entry timeline

Mektovi generics — when can they launch?

Mektovi (binimetinib) · Pfizer · 7 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2027-03-13
1 year remaining
Full patent estate to
2033-10-18
complete protection through 2033
FDA approval
2018
Pfizer

Where Mektovi sits in the generic timeline

Imminent generic cliff: earliest active US patent for Mektovi expires in 2027 (~1 year from today). ANDA filers are likely already preparing Paragraph IV certifications. Expect first-filer 180-day exclusivity competition imminently.

Under US Hatch-Waxman, a generic enters via an ANDA (Abbreviated New Drug Application) and may file with one of four Paragraph IV certifications attacking the brand's listed patents. If the brand sues within 45 days, a 30-month FDA approval stay is triggered. First Para IV filer typically gets 180-day market exclusivity.

Patent estate by type — active patents

Method-of-use patents only carve out specific indications; generics can launch with a "skinny label" omitting those uses. Composition-of-matter patents block the molecule itself.

  • Method of Use — 5 patents
  • Composition of Matter — 2 patents

FDA U-codes carved out by Mektovi patents

Method-of-use patents are listed against specific FDA Patent Use Codes ("U-codes") representing carved-out indications. Generics can launch with a label that omits these uses.

U-codeDescription
U-2333(no description)
U-2331(no description)
U-2332(no description)
U-2330(no description)
U-2334(no description)

Sample patent estate

Showing 6 of 7 active US patents. View full estate on the Mektovi drug page →

  • US7777050 Composition of Matter · expires 2027-03-13
    This patent protects a class of compounds, including Mektovi, that inhibit MEK and are useful in treating hyperproliferative diseases such as cancer and inflammation.
    USPTO title: N3 alkylated benzimidazole derivatives as MEK inhibitors
  • US9850229 Method of Use · expires 2030-08-27
    This patent protects a novel class of compounds used to treat or prevent diseases associated with abnormal B-Raf activation.
    USPTO title: Compounds and compositions as protein kinase inhibitors
  • US10005761 Method of Use · expires 2030-08-27
    This patent protects a novel class of compounds used to treat or prevent diseases associated with abnormal B-Raf activation.
    USPTO title: Compounds and compositions as protein kinase inhibitors
  • US9314464 Method of Use · expires 2031-07-04
    This patent protects a novel class of compounds used to treat or prevent diseases associated with abnormal B-Raf activation.
    USPTO title: Compounds and compositions as protein kinase inhibitors
  • US9598376 Method of Use · expires 2033-10-18
    This patent protects processes for preparing and pharmaceutical compositions of a specific MEK inhibitor, also known as Mektovi.
    USPTO title: Preparation of and formulation comprising a MEK inhibitor
  • US9980944 Method of Use · expires 2033-10-18
    This patent protects processes for preparing and pharmaceutical compositions of a specific MEK inhibitor, identified as 6-(4-bromo-2-fluorophenylamino)-7-fluoro-3-methyl-3H-benzoimidazole-5-carboxylic acid (2-hydroxyethyoxy)-amide.
    USPTO title: Preparation of and formulation comprising a MEK inhibitor

Sources

Patent term extensions (PTR, pediatric exclusivity), Hatch-Waxman 30-month stays, and FDA regulatory exclusivity (NCE/ODE/PED) may shift the effective generic entry date. Not legal advice.

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