Generic entry timeline

Horizant generics — when can they launch?

Horizant (GABAPENTIN ENACARBIL) · Azurity · 4 active US patents · 2 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2026-11-10
expired
Full patent estate to
2029-06-10
complete protection through 2029
FDA approval
2011
Azurity

Where Horizant sits in the generic timeline

All listed Orange Book patents for Horizant 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.

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

FDA U-codes carved out by Horizant 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-1231(no description)

Sample patent estate

Showing 4 of 4 active US patents. View full estate on the Horizant drug page →

  • US8026279 Composition of Matter · expires 2026-11-10
    This patent protects a crystalline form of a gamma-aminobutyric acid analog.
    USPTO title: Crystalline form of γ-aminobutyric acid analog
  • US8026279 Composition of Matter · expires 2026-11-10
    This patent protects a crystalline form of a gamma-aminobutyric acid analog.
    USPTO title: Crystalline form of γ-aminobutyric acid analog
  • US8795725 Method of Use · expires 2029-06-10
    This patent discloses sustained release oral dosage forms of a gabapentin prodrug, specifically 1-{[(α-isobutanoyloxyethoxy)carbonyl]aminomethyl}-1-cyclohexane acetic acid.
    USPTO title: GABA analog prodrug sustained release oral dosage forms
  • US8795725 Method of Use · expires 2029-06-10
    This patent discloses sustained release oral dosage forms of a gabapentin prodrug, specifically 1-{[(α-isobutanoyloxyethoxy)carbonyl]aminomethyl}-1-cyclohexane acetic acid.
    USPTO title: GABA analog prodrug sustained release oral dosage forms

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.

Get generic entry alerts

Free Pharma CI alerts on Horizant — get notified the moment an ANDA Paragraph IV certification is filed, a 30-month stay is triggered, or a generic launches. First 2 drugs free.

Subscribe free →