There isn’t a single “Methyldopa patent 1966.” Methyldopa (alpha-methyldopa) was the subject of multiple patent families in the 1950s–1960s, covering the compound itself, its synthesis, formulations, and therapeutic uses. A patent around that era could be about the drug substance, a method of making it, or a pharmaceutical composition, and different assignees held different family members.
If you want the exact patent numbers and expiry dates, here’s how to track them down efficiently:
- Databases to use: Google Patents (patents.google.com), USPTO PatFT (patents.google.com also covers US with links), Espacenet (worldwide).
- Search terms (try combinations):
- “alpha-methyldopa”
- “methyldopa”
- “N-methyl-DOPA”
- “3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine alpha-methyl”
- “alpha-methyldopa synthesis”
- “use of methyldopa in hypertension”
- Once you find a patent, check:
- The filing and grant dates (to estimate term)
- The assignee (which company owned the patent)
- The claims (is it the drug itself, a method of making it, or a formulation?)
- The country of the patent (US, EP, WO, etc.)
- Be aware there may be multiple patents in parallel (substance, salts, dosage forms, combinations, methods of use).
If you want, tell me:
- Do you want US patents, European, or worldwide?
- Are you after the earliest substance patent, a synthesis patent, or a use/formulation patent?
- Do you want me to help compile specific patent numbers and expiration dates from those databases?
I can guide you step by step or help assess any results you provide. Note that most core methyldopa patents from that era have long since expired, but there can be later patents on specific formulations or new uses.