Generic entry timeline

Levophed generics — when can they launch?

Levophed (Norepinephrine Bitartrate) · Pfizer Inc. · 36 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2035-02-26
9 years remaining
Full patent estate to
2041-03-08
complete protection through 2041
FDA approval
Pfizer Inc.

Where Levophed sits in the generic timeline

Long-dated protection: earliest active US patent for Levophed extends to 2035 (~9 years out). Generic competition is at least 4 years away. Lifecycle moves (new formulations, label extensions, combination filings) typically execute 18-36 months ahead of cliff.

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 — 24 patents
  • Method of Use — 12 patents

FDA U-codes carved out by Levophed 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-3461(no description)
U-3995(no description)

Sample patent estate

Showing 6 of 36 active US patents. View full estate on the Levophed drug page →

  • USRE49422 Formulation · expires 2035-02-26
    This patent protects a formulation of a specific dosage form for the drug product Levophed.
  • USRE49443 Formulation · expires 2035-02-26
    This patent protects a formulation of a specific dosage form for the drug product Levophed.
  • USRE49422 Formulation · expires 2035-02-26
    This patent protects a formulation of a specific dosage form for the drug product Levophed.
  • USRE49443 Formulation · expires 2035-02-26
    This patent protects a formulation of a specific dosage form for the drug product Levophed.
  • USRE49422 Formulation · expires 2035-02-26
    This patent protects a formulation of a specific dosage form for the drug product Levophed.
  • USRE49422 Formulation · expires 2035-02-26
    This patent protects a formulation of a specific dosage form for the drug product Levophed.

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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