Generic entry timeline

Lamictal generics — when can they launch?

Lamictal (lamotrigine) · GSK · 8 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2029-01-07
3 years remaining
Full patent estate to
2040-05-29
complete protection through 2040
FDA approval
GSK

Where Lamictal sits in the generic timeline

Imminent generic cliff: earliest active US patent for Lamictal expires in 2029 (~3 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.

  • Formulation — 6 patents
  • Method of Use — 2 patents

FDA U-codes carved out by Lamictal 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-4271(no description)

Sample patent estate

Showing 6 of 8 active US patents. View full estate on the Lamictal drug page →

  • US8637512 Formulation · expires 2029-01-07
    This patent protects a sustained release formulation of lamotrigine, the active ingredient in Lamictal, and methods of treatment and uses thereof.
    USPTO title: Formulations and method of treatment
  • US8637512 Formulation · expires 2029-01-07
    This patent protects a sustained release formulation of lamotrigine, the active ingredient in Lamictal, and methods of treatment and uses thereof.
    USPTO title: Formulations and method of treatment
  • US8637512 Formulation · expires 2029-01-07
    This patent protects a sustained release formulation of lamotrigine, the active ingredient in Lamictal, and methods of treatment and uses thereof.
    USPTO title: Formulations and method of treatment
  • US8637512 Formulation · expires 2029-01-07
    This patent protects a sustained release formulation of lamotrigine, the active ingredient in Lamictal, and methods of treatment and uses thereof.
    USPTO title: Formulations and method of treatment
  • US8637512 Formulation · expires 2029-01-07
    This patent protects a sustained release formulation of lamotrigine, the active ingredient in Lamictal, and methods of treatment and uses thereof.
    USPTO title: Formulations and method of treatment
  • US8637512 Formulation · expires 2029-01-07
    This patent protects a sustained release formulation of lamotrigine, the active ingredient in Lamictal, and methods of treatment and uses thereof.
    USPTO title: Formulations and method of treatment

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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