Do you mean current patent status, historical patents, or specific patent numbers for vancomycin? I can give a quick overview and, if you want, help you look up exact patent documents.
Brief overview:
- Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic produced by fermentation (originally from the bacterium Amycolatopsis orientalis). It was discovered in the 1950s by Eli Lilly.
- There were multiple patents over the years covering discovery, isolation/purification, fermentation processes, salt forms (e.g., vancomycin hydrochloride), and pharmaceutical formulations.
- Most of the core discovery and production patents have expired in major markets, and generic vancomycin products are widely available today.
- Some patents related to newer glycopeptide antibiotics (derivatives or very specific formulations/use cases) may still exist in certain jurisdictions, but these are generally not vancomycin itself.
- Patent protection is jurisdiction-specific and expiration dates depend on filing dates, term adjustments, and maintenance fees. Also, regulatory data exclusivity can affect generic entry in some places.
If you want precise patent numbers and status, tell me:
- Which country/jurisdiction (e.g., US, EU, UK, India, etc.)
- The time frame you care about (historical or current)
- Whether you want just core discovery/production patents or any patents on salts, formulations, or uses
I can then point you to specific patent databases and search terms (USPTO, Espacenet, WIPO PATENTSCOPE) to pull the exact documents.