Generic entry timeline

Vibramycin generics — when can they launch?

Vibramycin (doxycycline) · Generic (originally Pfizer) · 1 active US patent · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2027-12-19
2 years remaining
Full patent estate to
2027-12-19
complete protection through 2027
FDA approval
1967-01-01
Generic (originally Pfizer)

Where Vibramycin sits in the generic timeline

Imminent generic cliff: earliest active US patent for Vibramycin expires in 2027 (~2 years 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 — 1 patent

FDA U-codes carved out by Vibramycin 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-1063(no description)

Sample patent estate

Showing 1 of 1 active US patents. View full estate on the Vibramycin drug page →

  • US7749532 Method of Use · expires 2027-12-19
    This patent protects once-daily formulations of tetracyclines, such as doxycycline, for treating various diseases including periodontal disease and acne.
    USPTO title: Once daily formulations of tetracyclines

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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