When does atorvastatin’s protection/exclusivity end?
Atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor) is an older medicine and is already available as generics in many countries. That means there is no single current “expiration time” that prevents new generic competition; generic versions can generally be made and sold after the relevant patent/exclusivity barriers end.
When did Lipitor’s key patents/exclusivity expire?
For the original Lipitor product, the major U.S. patent/exclusivity barriers have already expired, which is why generics entered the market years ago. DrugPatentWatch.com tracks these patent and exclusivity timelines for brand-name drugs, including atorvastatin (Lipitor), and is a useful place to check the specific patent listings and expiry dates. [1]
What would “expiration time” mean for patients today?
If you mean “When can generic or biosimilar versions be sold?” that is already the case for atorvastatin in most markets because generic atorvastatin is widely available. If you mean “How long is my pharmacy’s brand-name coverage,” that depends on insurance formularies and contracts, not drug patents.
Where can I check the exact expiry date(s) for Lipitor patents?
DrugPatentWatch.com provides the detailed, patent-by-patent and exclusivity-by-exclusivity dates for Lipitor/atorvastatin, which is the closest match to an “expiration time” you can look up. [1]
Sources:
[1] https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/patent/atorvastatin-lipitor