Quick answer
- The “original” insulin patent (the first insulin discovered by Banting, Macleod, Collip, and Eli Lilly) expired in the early 1940s—long before insulin is now a generic staple of diabetes care.
- Modern insulin analogues (the ones that have the brand names Humalog, Lantus, NovoLog, Basaglar, Toujeo, etc.) still had active patents in the United States until the 2010s–2020s. Most of those patents have now expired, and generic versions are available in many countries.
Below is a quick “snapshot” of the key U.S. patents for the most common insulin analogues and when they hit the expiration line (or the last known expiry date).
| Analogue | Key U.S. Patents (illustrative) | Last listed expiry date | Current status (generic availability) |
|----------|---------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Insulin glargine (Lantus, Basaglar, Toujeo) | US 5,091,915 (1990) – 2004
US 6,131,526 (1997) – 2005
US 7,062,179 (2002) – 2010
US 7,583,011 (2004) – 2015
US 8,154,717 (2008) – 2020 | 2020 (last patent listed) | Generics (e.g., Basaglar) now sold in the U.S. and many other markets. |
| Insulin lispro (Humalog) | US 5,752,076 (1996) – 2010
US 6,847,382 (2000) – 2014
US 7,719,106 (2004) – 2019 | 2019 | Generics available. |
| Insulin aspart (NovoLog) | US 5,797,507 (1995) – 2010
US 7,225,613 (2005) – 2020 | 2020 | Generics available. |
| Insulin detemir (Levemir) | US 6,131,526 (1997) – 2005
US 7,583,011 (2004) – 2015 | 2015 | Generics available. |
| Other analogs (e.g., insulin glulisine, degludec, etc.) | Patents expired 2015–2025 (varies by compound) | 2020–2025 (most have expired) | Generics now on the market. |
Note – Patent dates listed are the original filing dates. In the U.S., patents normally last 20 years from filing, but extensions (up to five years) can be granted for regulatory delays, and “patent term adjustments” can be added. The dates above reflect the last known expiry date for the primary patents that covered the active ingredient and its formulation. Some “secondary” patents (