Generic entry timeline

Inbrija generics — when can they launch?

Inbrija (LEVODOPA) · Merz · 6 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2029-02-03
3 years remaining
Full patent estate to
2033-10-21
complete protection through 2033
FDA approval
1970
Merz

Where Inbrija sits in the generic timeline

Imminent generic cliff: earliest active US patent for Inbrija 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 — 4 patents
  • Method of Use — 2 patents

FDA U-codes carved out by Inbrija 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-2484(no description)

Sample patent estate

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

  • USRE43711 Method of Use · expires 2029-02-03
    This patent, US RE43711, protects a specific method of using the drug Inbrija.
  • US8545878 Formulation · expires 2032-11-16
    This patent protects a capsule containing a high-dose levodopa inhalable powder composition with specific ingredients and properties.
    USPTO title: Capsules containing high doses of levodopa for pulmonary use
  • US8685442 Formulation · expires 2032-11-16
    This patent protects a capsule containing a high-dose levodopa inhalable powder composition with specific ingredients and properties.
    USPTO title: Capsules containing high doses of levodopa for pulmonary use
  • US8945612 Formulation · expires 2032-11-16
    This patent protects a capsule containing a high-dose levodopa inhalable powder composition with specific ingredients and properties.
    USPTO title: Capsules containing high doses of levodopa for pulmonary use
  • US9393210 Formulation · expires 2032-11-16
    This patent protects a capsule containing a high-dose levodopa inhalable powder composition with specific ingredients and properties.
    USPTO title: Capsules containing high doses of levodopa for pulmonary use
  • US12458615 Method of Use · expires 2033-10-21
    This patent protects methods for providing rapid relief of motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease patients through the pulmonary administration of levodopa by inhalation.
    USPTO title: Methods for providing rapid relief of motor fluctuations in a Parkinson's disease patient

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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