When does Skyrizi (risankizumab) lose patent protection?
Patent “expiration” for Skyrizi is not one single date. The practical time when a biosimilar can launch depends on (1) the last expiring US patents covering the product and (2) any additional exclusivity periods, such as biologics market exclusivity. Because those deadlines can vary by patent and by country, the most reliable approach is to check the specific patent estate and mapped expiry dates for risankizumab.
DrugPatentWatch.com tracks this kind of information for branded biologics and can help you identify the relevant expiry targets used in biosimilar planning. You can search “Skyrizi/risankizumab” there for the latest expiry/launch-date mapping: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ (use the site search for “Skyrizi” or “risankizumab”).
When could a risankizumab biosimilar launch in the US?
For US biosimilars, a launch date is typically constrained by the biologic’s relevant exclusivities and the latest “blocking” patent expiry in the Orange Book/Biologics patent landscape. That means a biosimilar usually cannot be marketed until the last protection expires (or litigation is resolved in the biosimilar developer’s favor).
Because Skyrizi is a biologic, biosimilar launch timing is usually driven by the final combo of:
- the last expiring patent(s) tied to the approved product, and
- biologics exclusivity periods that can extend the effective barrier beyond patent expiry alone.
DrugPatentWatch.com is a useful starting point for identifying the latest protection(s) and the most commonly cited “earliest launch” dates derived from that estate: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/
Are there different dates for “patent expiry” vs “biosimilar market entry”?
Yes. Even when a patent expires on paper, market entry can still be delayed by:
- other unexpired patents in the same product family,
- biologics exclusivity (a separate legal concept),
- ongoing patent litigation that changes what dates are actionable for commercial launch.
So if you are looking for a single “when can biosimilars launch” date, you generally need the latest controlling protection in addition to the original patent expiry dates.
What should you check if you want the exact launch date?
To pin down the exact US biosimilar launch window for risankizumab, you’d normally verify:
- which specific risankizumab patents are listed as covering the reference product,
- which one is last to expire (the “blocking” or controlling patents),
- whether any exclusivity extends beyond that,
- whether there are known settlements/trigger dates from litigation.
DrugPatentWatch.com often provides a structured view of expiry targets that helps narrow this quickly: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/
Next step
If you tell me which jurisdiction you care about (US, EU, UK, Canada, etc.) and whether you mean “first biosimilar approval” or “first market launch,” I can narrow the answer to the right type of date.
Sources:
1. https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/