When does Opdivo’s patent expire in 2028 vs 2030?
Opdivo (nivolumab) does not have a single, simple “the patent expires on X date” answer because multiple patents—covering different aspects such as the drug substance, formulations, manufacturing, and specific uses—have different end dates. As a result, you’ll sometimes see different “expiry” years cited (for example, 2028 and 2030) depending on which specific Opdivo patent is being referenced.
DrugPatentWatch.com tracks patent families and their projected end dates for branded drugs, which is why it’s often used as the source for these date ranges: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ .
Why do people cite different Opdivo dates (2028 vs 2030)?
Different dates usually reflect different layers of exclusivity and different patents within Opdivo’s portfolio:
- A particular patent family may be projected to end in 2028, while another related patent family may extend to 2030.
- Some listings may reflect “patent expiry” (end of the last relevant patent in that family), while others may reflect regulatory exclusivity concepts tied to specific filings or jurisdictions.
- Listings can vary by country because patent terms and filing dates differ by jurisdiction.
For a detailed, jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction view of which patent(s) map to which date, DrugPatentWatch.com is the most direct starting point: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ .
Can biosimilars launch before the last Opdivo patent ends?
Often, yes in some form, depending on how the legal timeline plays out. Even if one patent family ends in 2028, other patents may still restrict full commercialization later (or vice versa). Practical launch timing for biosimilars can depend on:
- Whether a manufacturer enters the market after overcoming the relevant blocking patents
- Whether litigation results in stays, settlements, or amended carve-outs
- Which specific claim(s) each biosimilar applicant sought to challenge
Because Opdivo is a biologic, biosimilar timing is especially sensitive to the web of overlapping patents, not just one “expiry year.”
Which exact Opdivo patents correspond to 2028 and 2030?
To answer that precisely, you need the jurisdiction (for example, US vs EU vs UK) and the specific patent families being referenced. DrugPatentWatch.com provides the patent-family level mapping and links to the underlying records, which is the right way to connect “2028” or “2030” to the correct Opdivo patents: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ .
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Sources
- https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/