Generic entry timeline

Rinvoq generics — when can they launch?

Rinvoq (upadacitinib) · AbbVie Inc. · 85 active US patents · 0 expired

Earliest patent expiry
2031-01-15
5 years remaining
Full patent estate to
2038-03-09
complete protection through 2038
FDA approval
AbbVie Inc.

Where Rinvoq sits in the generic timeline

Mid-term cliff: earliest active US patent for Rinvoq expires in 2031 (~5 years). Generic developers typically begin ANDA bioequivalence studies 3-4 years ahead of this date. Paragraph IV filings + Hatch-Waxman 30-month stays may shift the effective entry by another 18-36 months.

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.

  • Composition of Matter — 36 patents
  • Method of Use — 29 patents
  • Formulation — 20 patents

FDA U-codes carved out by Rinvoq 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-3624(no description)
U-3371(no description)
U-3946(no description)
U-3298(no description)
U-3255(no description)
U-3945(no description)
U-3275(no description)
U-3487(no description)
U-4302(no description)
U-4303(no description)

Sample patent estate

Showing 6 of 85 active US patents. View full estate on the Rinvoq drug page →

  • US8962629 Method of Use · expires 2031-01-15
    This patent protects a class of tricyclic compounds useful for treating immunological and oncological conditions.
    USPTO title: Tricyclic compounds
  • US8962629 Method of Use · expires 2031-01-15
    This patent protects a class of tricyclic compounds useful for treating immunological and oncological conditions.
    USPTO title: Tricyclic compounds
  • US8962629 Method of Use · expires 2031-01-15
    This patent protects a class of tricyclic compounds useful for treating immunological and oncological conditions.
    USPTO title: Tricyclic compounds
  • US8962629 Method of Use · expires 2031-01-15
    This patent protects a class of tricyclic compounds useful for treating immunological and oncological conditions.
    USPTO title: Tricyclic compounds
  • USRE47221 Composition of Matter · expires 2033-08-16
    This patent protects the composition of matter of the active drug substance Rinvoq.
  • USRE47221 Composition of Matter · expires 2033-08-16
    This patent protects the composition of matter of the active drug substance Rinvoq.

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.

Get generic entry alerts

Free Pharma CI alerts on Rinvoq — get notified the moment an ANDA Paragraph IV certification is filed, a 30-month stay is triggered, or a generic launches. First 2 drugs free.

Subscribe free →