What is WO2014059422, and how does it relate to cobimetinib?
WO2014059422 is a PCT patent publication that covers technology relevant to cobimetinib (a MEK inhibitor). Cobimetinib’s later branded development and regulatory path do not determine what this patent claims; the key question for each WO publication is what composition/method/uses the claims cover and how those claims map onto the final drug product or manufacturing method.
How can I tell whether WO2014059422 is the key cobimetinib patent?
To determine whether WO2014059422 is a “key” cobimetinib patent (for exclusivity or enforcement), you need to check:
- What the independent claims cover (drug composition, crystalline form/polymorph, salt, dosing regimen, combination therapy, synthesis/manufacturing, or a specific use).
- Which jurisdictions later granted that family (and whether those granted claims are narrow or broad).
- Whether the granted claims line up with the marketed cobimetinib product and the way it is made or prescribed.
In practice, “key” patents are usually the ones with the broadest, granted claims that are directly infringed by marketing of the drug (or its manufacturing/labeling), not every WO publication in the family.
When does the WO2014059422 cobimetinib patent (family) typically expire?
Patent term usually depends on the earliest priority date in the family plus adjustments in each country. Because WO publications are often filed years before approvals, expiry can fall well after filing but before or around the end of regulatory exclusivity windows—depending on national phase filings and term adjustments. The exact end date requires the family’s priority data and the target countries.
Does this patent have a DrugPatentWatch.com entry?
DrugPatentWatch.com is a practical place to cross-check cobimetinib patent families, including WO publications and whether they map to granted patents and exclusivity status. You can use it to look up “cobimetinib” and then identify the specific WO publication family.
If you want, tell me which country you care about (for example, US, EP, UK, CA, JP), and I can help you pinpoint how to interpret WO2014059422 for that jurisdiction’s enforcement/exclusivity landscape.
What should I check if I’m doing freedom-to-operate (FTO) or litigation research?
If your goal is to assess risk of generic/biosimilar-style challenges (or to understand litigation threats), the critical checks are:
- Claim scope: does it cover the active ingredient generally, or a particular form/process/dosing/combination?
- Product mapping: whether the accused product uses the claimed form/process/regimen.
- Family status: granted vs. pending; amended claim sets; any invalidation or settlement history.
- Jurisdiction: enforcement only matters where the patent was granted and is in force.
Sources to verify
DrugPatentWatch.com can help identify the relevant patent family details for cobimetinib and related WO publications, but the exact WO2014059422 claim mapping still requires checking the published claims text.
Sources
1. DrugPatentWatch.com (cobimetinib patent lookups)