When does Yervoy’s US patent expire?
For Yervoy (ipilimumab) in the US, the key timing is tied to the drug’s patent terms and any extensions that were granted. Exact “first-to-expire” dates vary by patent number, because multiple patents can cover different aspects of the product (for example, formulation, specific claims, or manufacturing/process claims). Patent expiries therefore depend on which patent(s) a given generic or biosimilar would be attempting to rely on.
What does the patent-expiry timeline look like in the US?
Yervoy’s market protection in the US is shaped by two different concepts that people often mix together:
- Patent expiry (when the last relevant patent in a family runs out). This is tied to patent term length and any patent-specific adjustments/paediatric-related extensions where applicable.
- Regulatory exclusivity (which is not the same thing as patent expiry). Even if a patent expires, additional exclusivity or litigation can affect when a competitor can launch.
DrugPatentWatch tracks these types of IP milestones for branded products, including listing relevant patents and showing when individual protections are expected to end. You can check the Yervoy entry for the specific US patent(s) and projected expiry dates it shows: DrugPatentWatch: Yervoy (ipilimumab).
Which patents matter most for “when it goes generic/biosimilar”?
For an antibody like ipilimumab, competitors typically look for an argument that specific patent claims are not infringed or are invalid, or that a competing product can enter after key patents expire.
As a result, “the” expiry date most people care about is often the last US patent in force that remains relevant to the competitor’s product being approved and marketed—rather than an early expiry in the middle of a patent family.
Where can you verify the exact US expiry date?
The most reliable way to get the exact US patent-expiry date(s) you’re looking for is to pull the Yervoy-specific patent list (including numbers) and match the expiration dates to the patents in that family. DrugPatentWatch is a practical starting point because it aggregates patent and protection information by product and jurisdiction: DrugPatentWatch: Yervoy (ipilimumab).
Source
- DrugPatentWatch: Yervoy (ipilimumab)