Drug Launch Tracker

See when a brand-name drug is expected to get its first lower-cost generic, how sure that date is, and what is holding it up. We follow the patents, court cases, settlements and FDA approvals behind every date and update the schedule every month.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS

This tracker is aggregated from FDA records, court filings and company announcements. Coded and designed by

Updated October 9, 2026 How we build our data

Upcoming Generic Drug Launches

When a brand-name drug is expected to get its first, lower-cost generic, the reason, how sure we are, and how much price competition is lined up.

84Brand-name drugs that could get a first generic in the next 12 months
911Brand-name drugs on the schedule
14Blockbusters ($1B+ a year) due to face generics by the end of 2028

Coming Up Next

Tap a card for that drug’s launch page.

  • Expected generic launchOctober 2026 This month
    BrandAdasuve
    GenericLoxapine
    Why it’s going genericPatent expires
    FilersNone yet
    Brand salesNot reported
  • Expected generic launchOctober 2026 This month
    BrandSynribo
    GenericOmacetaxine Mepesuccinate
    Why it’s going genericPatent expires
    Filers1 company
    Brand salesNot reported
  • Expected generic launchNovember 2026 Next month
    BrandHorizant
    GenericGabapentin Enacarbil
    Why it’s going genericPatent expires
    Filers3 companies
    Brand sales$82M a year
  • Expected generic launchDecember 2026 About 2 months away
    BrandTrintellix
    GenericVortioxetine Hydrobromide
    Why it’s going genericNot yet clear
    Filers16 companies
    Brand sales$1.4B a year
  • Expected generic launchDecember 2026 About 2 months away
    BrandSignifor
    GenericPasireotide Diaspartate
    Why it’s going genericPatent expires
    FilersNone yet
    Brand salesNot reported
  • Expected generic launchJanuary 2027 About 3 months away
    BrandVivitrol
    GenericNaltrexone
    Why it’s going genericSettlement between companies
    Filers1 company
    Brand sales$936M a year
  • Expected generic launchJanuary 2027 About 3 months away
    BrandBelbuca
    GenericBuprenorphine Hydrochloride
    Why it’s going genericSettlement between companies
    Filers7 companies
    Brand sales$370M a year
  • Expected generic launchJanuary 2027 About 3 months away
    BrandVibativ
    GenericTelavancin Hydrochloride
    Why it’s going genericPatent expires
    FilersNone yet
    Brand sales$4M a year

See All Generic Launches

Coming Next to the Tracker

New Generics

Coming soon. Generics that have just reached pharmacy shelves. Here is what this section will show:

  • The month each first generic launched
  • Which companies launched it, and whether one is the brand company’s own “authorized generic”
  • What pharmacies pay for it now

Built from FDA approvals, the FDA NDC Directory and NADAC.

Upcoming Brand Approvals

Coming soon. Brand-name drugs waiting on an FDA decision. Here is what this section will show:

  • The month the FDA is expected to decide
  • What the drug is proposed to treat
  • What happened after that month: approved, delayed or sent back for more

Built from company announcements and FDA records.

Just Approved

Coming soon. New drugs the FDA has approved in recent months. Here is what this section will show:

  • New drugs the FDA approved, month by month
  • What each one is approved to treat
  • When it reaches pharmacies, when that differs from the approval

Built from Drugs@FDA and the FDA NDC Directory.

Biosimilars

Coming soon. Lower-cost versions of biologic drugs, such as Humira or Stelara. Here is what this section will show:

  • Which biosimilars are approved for each biologic
  • Which ones a pharmacy can swap in (interchangeable)
  • When each one launched, or is expected to

Built from the FDA Purple Book and company announcements.

How We Build Our Data

Every date on the tracker comes from public records, read together. A patent list alone gives the date many websites show, but the first generic often arrives sooner, because of a settlement or a court ruling. We weigh all of it and update the schedule every month. We give a month, not an exact day: even when the legal date is known, it takes days to weeks for a new generic to reach pharmacies.

  • FDA Orange BookThe FDA’s list of the patents and other protections on each brand-name drug, and the date each one ends.Many websites show the last of these dates. The first generic often arrives sooner.
  • Drugs@FDAThe FDA’s record of every drug it has approved, including generics it has cleared that cannot be sold yet.When a generic is already approved, it can launch as soon as the patents allow.
  • FDA Paragraph IV listThe FDA’s list of brand-name drugs whose patents a generic company has challenged, and when.The first company to challenge can earn a six-month head start on other generic companies.
  • Federal court recordsPatent lawsuits between brand-name and generic drug companies, and what the judges decided.A court decision can let a generic launch early or push the date back.
  • Company announcements and securities filingsWhat drug companies say publicly: settlement dates and launch plans.Many dates on the tracker come from settlements the companies announced; about half follow the end of a patent.
  • FDA NDC Directory and NADACWhich versions of a drug are for sale, who makes them, and what pharmacies pay for them.Once a generic launches, this is where its real price shows up.

How We Estimate the Month

  1. We start with the patents. The day the last one ends is the date many websites show, and usually the longest a generic would have to wait.
  2. We check for patent challenges. When a generic company challenges a patent, the brand usually sues, and the FDA has to wait up to 30 months before approving the generic.
  3. We look for a settlement or a court ruling. Most of these fights end with the two companies agreeing on a launch date, or with a judge deciding the case.
  4. We see who is ready to launch. Generics the FDA has already approved, and how many companies have applied, tell us how many could launch at once. The more companies, the lower the price tends to fall.
  5. We rate how sure we are. A date from a public settlement is very likely. A date that depends on a court case still going on is a toss-up.

Our month is only an estimate based on available information. A brand can win a court case and push the date back, settle for an earlier date, or sell its own lower-cost copy (an “authorized generic”). Every drug’s page keeps a log of each change we see.

Updated October 9, 2026. Information, not medical advice: never stop or switch a drug without talking to your prescriber or pharmacist.