Generic entry timeline

MESALAMINE generics — when can they launch?

MESALAMINE (MESALAMINE) · · 4 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2027-07-24
1 year remaining
Full patent estate to
2030-05-01
complete protection through 2030
FDA approval
1987

Where MESALAMINE sits in the generic timeline

Imminent generic cliff: earliest active US patent for MESALAMINE expires in 2027 (~1 year 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 — 2 patents
  • Composition of Matter — 1 patent
  • Method of Use — 1 patent

FDA U-codes carved out by MESALAMINE 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-1310(no description)

Sample patent estate

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

  • US7645801 Composition of Matter · expires 2027-07-24
    This patent protects a packaged enema formulation containing substantially pure 5-ASA as the active ingredient for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
    USPTO title: Reduced irritant enema for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • US8217083 Formulation · expires 2028-06-06
    This patent protects a mesalamine rectal suppository designed to provide improved comfort of use.
    USPTO title: Mesalamine suppository
  • US8436051 Formulation · expires 2028-06-06
    This patent protects a mesalamine rectal suppository designed to provide improved comfort of use.
    USPTO title: Mesalamine suppository
  • US8865688 Method of Use · expires 2030-05-01
    This patent protects methods for treating gastrointestinal disorders, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, using a granulated mesalamine formulation.
    USPTO title: Compositions and methods for treatment of bowel diseases with granulated mesalamine

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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