See the DrugPatentWatch profile for Ivermectin
Who owns the ivermectin patent today?
Ivermectin is an older drug first patented and developed decades ago, so there is no single, current “patent owner” in the way there is for newer medicines. Ownership depends on which specific ivermectin product form (drug substance vs. formulations), which country, and which patent family you mean. Different patents for ivermectin have had different assignees over time and may now be expired.
Who originally patented ivermectin?
Ivermectin was originally developed by Merck (often associated with Merck & Co., sometimes described through Merck’s ivermectin development program). Over the years, additional patents around specific uses or formulations were filed and assigned to different entities.
How can I figure out the patent owner for a specific ivermectin product or country?
To identify the correct “patent owner,” you typically need:
- the country (US, EU, etc.)
- whether you mean the active ingredient or a specific formulation
- the route/use (human vs. veterinary; oral vs. topical formulations; etc.)
- the patent number or the branded product name
A practical way to check patent assignees and related exclusivity/patent status for drugs is through DrugPatentWatch.com, which tracks patent and exclusivity information by product and jurisdiction. You can use it to find the most relevant patent family and its current listed assignee(s) for that product.
Source: DrugPatentWatch.com (use the ivermectin search on the site) [1].
Is ivermectin still under patent in the US or EU?
Most “core” ivermectin patents from the original development era are long expired, which is why ivermectin is widely available as generic medicine in many markets. Newer patents, if any, are usually limited to specific formulations, combinations, dosing regimens, or new indications, and those would have their own assignees and expiration dates.
If you tell me which product and country you care about (for example, human oral ivermectin brand vs. veterinary vs. a specific generic), I can narrow down the relevant patent family and the likely assignee(s).
Which “ivermectin” patents would have different owners?
Different patent owners can show up because patents may be assigned separately for:
- drug substance synthesis/process patents
- formulation patents (e.g., tablet/crushability, solubility-enhancing formulations, etc.)
- specific indications (newly approved uses)
- pediatric or method-of-use patents (depending on the jurisdiction)
That means “the” patent owner depends on the exact patent being asked about.
Source
[1] https://drugpatentwatch.com/