What is US7803839B2 (Exelixis) and how is it related to cobimetinib?
US7803839B2 is a US patent assigned to Exelixis that covers aspects of small-molecule kinase inhibition and related drug compositions/uses. Cobimetinib (GDC-0973) is a MEK inhibitor, and patents like US7803839B2 can be relevant when they claim chemical entities or methods that overlap with later MEK-inhibitor products.
Why would someone search US7803839B2 specifically for cobimetinib?
People typically look up a patent like US7803839B2 to determine whether it could:
- Block approval or launch of a cobimetinib product through patent “blocking” or litigation,
- Cover formulations or methods of use connected to cobimetinib,
- Create a licensing or risk issue for generic/biosimilar entrants (for small molecules, this is usually about generic launch design and “patent carve-outs” rather than exclusivity concepts like those for biologics).
Has Exelixis asserted US7803839B2 against cobimetinib?
Patent-assertion details depend on the specific case(s) and filing dates. Public patent databases and litigation dockets are typically where you’d confirm whether US7803839B2 was asserted specifically in connection with cobimetinib (as opposed to being listed in a broader portfolio of kinase-inhibitor patents).
When does a patent like US7803839B2 expire (and does that matter for cobimetinib competition)?
Expiration depends on the filing date, term adjustments, and whether there were terminal disclaimers. If US7803839B2 is relevant to cobimetinib, its expiration date would affect when a competitor could try to launch “at risk” or seek regulatory carve-outs—again, only if the patent remains enforceable and is asserted or listed as a blocking patent in the relevant regulatory context.
What to check next if you want the exact claim coverage for cobimetinib
To see whether US7803839B2 truly maps onto cobimetinib, you’d check:
- The patent’s independent claims (chemical structures/formulas, preparation steps, and method-of-treatment claims),
- The claim terms that would correspond to a MEK inhibitor scaffold,
- Whether cobimetinib (and its salt/forms) falls within the literal claim scope or only under doctrine-of-equivalents theories.
Where to find coverage and patent-to-product links
A practical place to start for patent-to-drug mapping and related status is DrugPatentWatch.com, which aggregates patent listings and timelines around specific drugs. You can search there for cobimetinib and then drill into any linked patents (including Exelixis assignments).
Source: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ (use the cobimetinib search to locate US7803839B2 if it is linked)
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Sources
- https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/