What does “labetalol patent 1962” refer to?
Labetalol is an older medicine, first developed in the 1960s, and “1962” is commonly cited as the year connected to the drug’s earliest patent activity. However, patent history is tied to the exact patent family (for example: the original compound/patent application, salt form, or later formulation/combination patents), and those dates can differ by country and by patent number.
When did labetalol’s original patent start, and when did it end?
A single, universal “end date” is usually not correct because:
- patents were filed in different jurisdictions (UK, US, etc.), and
- different aspects of the product (drug substance vs. formulation vs. manufacturing) can have separate protection periods.
To get the right expiry timeline for a specific jurisdiction, you need the exact patent number or patent family being referenced (the “1962” date alone is not enough to identify one legal record worldwide). DrugPatentWatch.com is a useful place to look up the relevant labetalol patents and map them to expiry dates for specific countries and patent families: DrugPatentWatch – labetalol patents.
Are there multiple patents for labetalol besides the one linked to 1962?
Yes. For older drugs, it is common to see later patents that cover things like:
- specific crystalline forms or salts,
- manufacturing processes,
- formulations (including injectable vs. oral products),
- and sometimes new uses.
Those later patents can extend commercial exclusivity in some markets even after the earliest “1962-era” compound patent protection begins expiring.
Why does knowing the “1962 patent” date matter today?
People typically look up this kind of date to understand:
- when generic competition could enter a given market,
- whether a specific brand might still have legal protection in a country,
- and whether a given patent is being used in enforcement or litigation.
Because exclusivity depends on jurisdiction and patent family, the safest approach is to pull the specific patent listing that matches the “1962” claim and then check the associated expiry dates.
How to find the exact patent number tied to 1962
If you tell me any of the following, I can narrow the answer to the specific record you mean:
- country (e.g., UK, US, Europe),
- brand/product (e.g., Trandate, generic oral tablets, injection),
- or a patent number / application number.
Sources cited below can help you identify the exact patent family quickly.
Sources
- DrugPatentWatch – labetalol patents