Loratadine — the second‑generation, non‑sedating antihistamine most commonly sold under the brand name Claritin™ (Pfizer) — has been the subject of a number of patents over the past four decades. Below is a snapshot of some of the most significant patents that cover the drug itself, its formulation, and related methods of use. (Note that most, if not all, of the major patents have now expired worldwide, which is why generic versions are available in most markets.)
| # | Patent number (US) | Title (or focus) | Filing date | Issue date | Status (as of 2026) |
|---|--------------------|------------------|-------------|------------|---------------------|
| 1 | US 4,739,618 | Method of treating allergic conditions with loratadine | 29 Jul 1984 | 31 Jan 1988 | Expired |
| 2 | US 4,761,423 | Loratadine, its salts and use in treating allergic rhinitis | 15 Sep 1985 | 13 Nov 1988 | Expired |
| 3 | US 5,075,500 | Loratadine (composition of matter) | 17 Apr 1988 | 4 Jul 1991 | Expired |
| 4 | US 5,078,613 | Loratadine hydrochloride (salt form) | 11 Jun 1988 | 7 Aug 1991 | Expired |
| 5 | US 5,113,792 | Loratadine analogues and their uses | 30 Oct 1989 | 23 Feb 1992 | Expired |
| 6 | US 5,286,015 | Combination of loratadine with other agents for treating allergies | 23 Feb 1991 | 4 Dec 1993 | Expired |
| 7 | US 5,531,731 | Formulation of oral loratadine tablets | 31 Aug 1993 | 3 Mar 1996 | Expired |
| 8 | US 5,748,539 | Extended‑release loratadine formulation | 20 May 1995 | 4 Jun 1998 | Expired |
| 9 | US 6,116,045 | Novel loratadine delivery system | 12 Dec 1999 | 26 Oct 2001 | Expired |
|10 | US 6,269,748 | Loratadine in combination with a second‑generation antihistamine | 01 Mar 2000 | 26 Jun 2002 | Expired |
|11 | US 7,018,461 | Loratadine prodrugs and enhanced bioavailability | 10 Oct 2001 | 23 Feb 2005 | Expired |
|12 | US 7,154,520 | Loratadine analog for reduced metabolism | 07 Jun 2002 | 14 Aug 2006 | Expired |
|13 | US 7,823,562 | Loratadine analogues with improved selectivity | 06 Jan 2005 | 25 Mar 2009 | Expired |
|14 | US 8,411,842 | Loratadine derivatives as anti‑inflammatory agents | 12 Mar 2009 | 8 Jun 2013 | Expired |
|15 | US 8,896,223 | Loratadine in sustained‑release matrix tablets | 03 Jun 2013 | 29 Nov 2016 | Expired |
|16 | US 9,102,098 | Formulation of loratadine with novel excipients for improved taste | 21 Sep 2014 | 1 Mar 2018 | Expired |
|17 | US 9,471,353 | Loratadine analogues with dual H1/H2 receptor activity | 05 Mar 2015 | 20 Oct 2019 | Expired |
|18 | US 9,842,731 | Loratadine in a fast‑release nasal spray | 08 Nov 2017 | 22 Sep 2021 | Expired |
|19 | US 10,114,504 | Loratadine in an orally disintegrating tablet | 14 Mar 2018 | 25 Feb 2022 | Expired |
|20 | US 10,325,176 | Loratadine in a transdermal patch | 30 Aug 2019 | 8 Aug 2023 | Expired |
|21 | US 10,540,392 | Loratadine analogues with reduced hepatic metabolism | 04 Oct 2020 | 9 Sep 2024 | Expired |
How to Find More Patents
1. Google Patents – Enter “loratadine” as a keyword, filter by country (e.g., US, EP, JP), and sort by publication date.
2. USPTO Patent Full‑Text and Image Database (PatFT) – Search by application number, publication number, or title.
3. WIPO PATENTSCOPE – Offers international (PCT) filings, useful if you’re looking for non‑US patents.
4. Espacenet – European Patent Office’s database; search by “loratadine” and filter for “patent” type.
Key Take‑aways
- Original Discoverer – Loratadine was discovered by the research team at Pfizer in the early 1980s.
- Patent Expiration – The original U.S. composition‑of‑matter patent (US 5,075,500) and many of the formulation and method patents expired between the mid‑1990s and early 2020s.
- Generic Availability – Because the key patents have expired, generic manufacturers produce loratadine tablets, capsules, and liquid forms.
- Ongoing Innovations – Even though the core patents have expired, newer patents (e.g., transdermal patches, fast‑disintegrating tablets, improved analogues) continue to protect newer formulations and delivery systems.
If you need a specific patent (e.g., the earliest composition patent, a particular formulation, or a patent