Generic entry timeline

Deltasone generics — when can they launch?

Deltasone (prednisone) · Generic (originally Schering) · 4 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2027-08-03
1 year remaining
Full patent estate to
2028-01-07
complete protection through 2028
FDA approval
1955-01-01
Generic (originally Schering)

Where Deltasone sits in the generic timeline

Imminent generic cliff: earliest active US patent for Deltasone 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.

  • Method of Use — 4 patents

FDA U-codes carved out by Deltasone 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-1362(no description)
U-1269(no description)

Sample patent estate

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

  • US9504699 Method of Use · expires 2027-08-03
    This patent protects a delayed-release dosage form of a glucocorticoid for treating rheumatic disease and/or osteoarthritis.
    USPTO title: Delayed-release glucocorticoid treatment of rheumatoid disease
  • US9504699 Method of Use · expires 2027-08-03
    This patent protects a delayed-release dosage form of a glucocorticoid for treating rheumatic disease and/or osteoarthritis.
    USPTO title: Delayed-release glucocorticoid treatment of rheumatoid disease
  • US9504699 Method of Use · expires 2027-08-03
    This patent protects a delayed-release dosage form of a glucocorticoid for treating rheumatic disease and/or osteoarthritis.
    USPTO title: Delayed-release glucocorticoid treatment of rheumatoid disease
  • US8168218 Method of Use · expires 2028-01-07
    This patent protects a press-coated tablet with a core containing a drug substance, designed to release the substance with a lag time of 2-6 hours.
    USPTO title: Delayed release tablet with defined core geometry

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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