Merck's $20.7 Billion Patent Cliff (!) Table -- UPDATED, For The Patent Perils Of Vytorin®

Here it is (updated to include Impax's intended incursion into Vytorin^®'s markets) -- do let me know, if you see any errors:

Branded Name	Global Sales ($/Yr)	Compound Name	Suit/Claim Filed	30 Month Expiry/ "At Risk" Date	Likely Competitor(s)
Singulair®	$4.3B	montelukast	February 2007	August 22, 2009a	Teva
Vytorin®	$1.8B	simvastatin/ezetimibe	August 2010	November, 2013	Impax
Zetia®	$2.0B	ezetimibe	March 2007	October 2009b	Glenmark Pharma; Mylan; Teva
Primaxin®	$760M	imipenem/cilastatin	January 2007	September 1, 2009c	Ranbaxy Labs
Temodar®	$950M	temozolomide	July 2007	January 2010	Barr Labs (Teva Pharma)
Emend®	$264M	aprepitant	January 2009	June 2011	Sandoz
Cozaar/Hyzaar®	$3.5B	losartan	.	February 11, 2010d	numerous
Integrilin®	$300M	eptifibatide	February 2009	November 2011	Teva Pharma
Levitra®	$430M	vardenafil HCl	July 2009	April 2012	Teva Pharma
Fosamax®	$1.5B	alendronate	.	Lost exclusivity in 2008	Numerous; new drugs: Glaxo & Amgen
Heartgard®	$500M	ivermectin	.	Lost exclusivity in 2009e	numerous
Frontline®	$500M	fipronil	.	March 2010e	numerous
Trusopt/Cosopt®	$780M	dorzolamide	.	Lost exclusivity in 2008	numerous
Proscar®	$320M	finasteride	.	Lost exclusivity in 2006	numerous
Zocor®	$660M	statin family		Lost exclusivity in 2006	numerous
Clarinex®	$800M	descloratadine	September 2006	July 2012f	Orchid Pharma
Nexium®	$1.4B	esomeprazole	October 2005	May 27, 2014g	Ranbaxy
TOTALS:	$20.7 Billion

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Note a: Trial completed February 2009; Teva's appeal of trial decision (in favor of patent holders) is now pending; no launch yet, despite window being open since August 22, 2009.

Note b: Trial may begin in Q4 2010; though admittedly unlikely, an "at risk" launch (by Glenmark, most likely) "window" will be open -- and could occur at any time, now.

Note c: By agreement, Ranbaxy may launch September 1, 2009.

Note d: The basic Cozaar/Hyzaar patents in Europe expired in February 2010, and the US patents expire in April 2010. Many likely competitors after those dates.

Note e: Both Frontline and Heartgard -- the core, non-combination Animal Health products -- were off-patent by the end of Q1 2010: Frontline (non-combination product) came off patent in the USA during March of 2010. Heartgard returns from Merial, as half of the New Merial JV; half of the Intervet Frontline sales will go to Sanofi-Aventis, under that same new JV. The sales figures in the above table include only Merck's share of the New Merial joint venture.

Note f: All potential generic descloratadine manufacturers have agreed to a launch suspension until at least January 2012 (Orchid -- the one most likely to launch -- will wait, per agreement, until July 2012), though the permissive "at-risk" launch window first-opened in July of 2009.

Note g: Despite the "at risk" launch window opening in April of 2008, Ranbaxy and Merck (along with partner AstraZeneca) entered a settlement agreement keeping a generic form of Nexium off the market until May of 2014. The United States Federal Trade Commission (the "FTC") is now formally investigating this settlement agreement -- looking into, among other matters, its potential for improper anticompetitive effects. In that regard, Merck and AstraZeneca each received an investigative document demand from the FTC -- in July 2008 -- regarding the settlement agreement with Ranbaxy. Merck is cooperating with the FTC in responding to the document demand.

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