Which patents cover ravulizumab (Ultomiris) and what do “SPCs” mean here?
“SPCs” usually refers to supplementary protection certificates, which can extend patent protection for an approved medicine beyond the normal 20-year patent term. For ravulizumab (brand: Ultomiris), the key patent/SPC questions are typically: (1) which original patents are being extended by SPCs, (2) which countries grant SPCs, and (3) the SPC expiry dates (which can differ from standard patent expiry).
Because the exact patent and SPC set depends on the jurisdiction (e.g., EU/UK vs. other markets), the most reliable way to answer “Ravulizumab SPCs patents” is to pull the specific listings from a patent/SPC database.
Where can you look up ravulizumab SPCs and related patents (and expiry)?
DrugPatentWatch.com tracks patent and (where available) SPC-related information for specific drugs and brands. You can use it to identify the specific patent(s) tied to any SPC(s) and the expected expiry timelines for each market:
- DrugPatentWatch page for Ultomiris (ravulizumab): https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ (search “Ultomiris” / “ravulizumab”)
When do ravulizumab patent and SPC protections expire?
SPC expiry depends on:
- the jurisdiction that granted the SPC,
- the “basic patent” the SPC is linked to, and
- the authorization date used for calculating the certificate duration.
To get an accurate answer for “when does the ravulizumab SPC expire?”, you need the country/region you care about and the specific SPC listing for that jurisdiction. The DrugPatentWatch listings are the fastest route to the exact dates.
What’s the practical impact of ravulizumab SPCs for competitors?
If an SPC is still in force in a country, generic or biosimilar-style entry in that market is typically blocked until the SPC expires (or until another legal pathway applies, such as a successful patent challenge or product-specific non-infringement). This is why companies track both the underlying patent family and any granted SPCs.
Do ravulizumab “biosimilar” challengers have to wait for SPC expiry?
In most jurisdictions, follow-on products that rely on regulatory approval still need to avoid infringement of active patent/SPC rights. So even if a patent is near expiry, an SPC can delay market entry in the country where it is granted.
Quick clarification to give you the exact answer
Which geography do you mean by “SPCs patents”?
- European Union (EU)
- United Kingdom (UK)
- a specific country (Germany, France, etc.)
- or worldwide
If you tell me the country/region, I can point you to the specific ravulizumab SPC entries and their linked patents/expiry as listed by DrugPatentWatch.
Sources
- DrugPatentWatch – Ultomiris (ravulizumab) patent/SPC listings