Mucinex patent
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the request of an anonymous third party to reexamine Adams Respiratory Therapeutics' patent for the extended-release delivery technology in Mucinex. The tablets have a bi-layered design that provides immediate and extended guaifenesin release. The reexamination process could take up to three years, and during the interim the patent will remain in effect, Adams maintains. The patent extends through 2020, according to FDA's Orange Book. The 2002 Rx-to-OTC switch approval for Mucinex caused all single-ingredient extended-release Rx guaifenesin products to be withdrawn (1"The Tan Sheet" Oct. 21, 2002, p. 5)...