Pepcid generics — when can they launch?
Pepcid (famotidine) · Generic (originally Yamanouchi/Merck) · 5 active US patents · 0 expired
Where Pepcid sits in the generic timeline
All listed Orange Book patents for Pepcid have expired. Generic entry is permitted, and ANDA filers can launch without patent infringement risk. Hatch-Waxman exclusivity (NCE/ODE/PED) may still apply if recently approved.
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.
- Formulation — 3 patents
- Method of Use — 2 patents
FDA U-codes carved out by Pepcid 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-code | Description |
|---|---|
U-1196 | (no description) |
Sample patent estate
Showing 5 of 5 active US patents. View full estate on the Pepcid drug page →
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This patent protects stable pharmaceutical compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen in a single unit dosage form.USPTO title: Stable compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen
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This patent protects stable pharmaceutical compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen in a single unit dosage form.USPTO title: Stable compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen
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This patent protects stable pharmaceutical compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen in a single unit dosage form.USPTO title: Stable compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen
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This patent protects a method of administering an oral dosage form containing a therapeutically effective amount of ibuprofen and famotidine three times per day.USPTO title: Methods and medicaments for administration of ibuprofen
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This patent protects stable pharmaceutical compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen in a single unit dosage form.USPTO title: Stable compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen
Sources
- FDA Orange Book — patents listed against Pepcid (NDA filed 1986)
- Pepcid drug profile — full patent estate, indications, clinical trials, pricing
- Generic (originally Yamanouchi/Merck) patent portfolio
- Patent cliff 2026 — every drug losing US exclusivity that year
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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