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Very few solid anti-patent defenses have worked over the years. The most reliable has been the pediatric extension (where the manufacturer does the clinical studies with kids) when the manufacturer gets an additional 6 months of exclusivity.

This year (and into 2012) will see the bottom fall out for the brand manufacturers with so many blockbusters coming off patent. The biggest drug in the history of the industry, Pfizer's LIPITOR will be off patent in November. This brand alone does about 12 BILLION dollars worldwide/year.

Patents are awarded when the drug company registers the molecule, and run for 20 years; however, it usually takes about 8 years from registry to marketing approval. It also takes about 500-800 million dollars to bring the molecule to the FDA for approval, and not all get approved, as you know.

Please click here for more info.

I had just read something very similar regarding Celebrx.

Sales for Celebrx rank 20th among ALL prescription drugs (pretty impressive, eh?) with annual sales in 07 at $1,416,084,000

Applicant Ingredient NDA Number Approval Date Type Patent Number Patent Expiration Exclusivity Expiration Patented / Exclusive Use
Gd Searle celecoxib 020998 003 Aug 29, 2002 RX Dec 15, 2009 NEW PATIENT POPULATION
Gd Searle celecoxib 020998 001 Dec 31, 1998 RX 5,466,823*PED May 30, 2014
Gd Searle celecoxib 020998 003 Aug 29, 2002 RX Jan 29, 2009 PEDIATRIC EXCLUSIVITY
Gd Searle celecoxib 020998 003 Aug 29, 2002 RX Jul 29, 2008 FOR RELIEF OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS
Gd Searle celecoxib 020998 003 Aug 29, 2002 RX 5,972,986*PED Apr 14, 2018

Wow... that didn’t copy over very well... here’s the info link:
http://www.drugpatentwatch.com/premium/preview/detail/index.php?
searchtype=alpha&category=Tradename&searchstring=CELEBREX

There can be more than one patent for a single drub based on the application of is to certain, specialized uses, pediatric use, etc. There are also “exclusive uses” granted which prohibit other pharmaceuticals from using a “generic” or similar drug for that specific purpose.

From what I gather on that site, Celebrex has two patents. One which expires May 30, 2014 and a second which expires August 14, 2018

http://askville.amazon.com/long-brand-drug-patent/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=37279405