Feature|Articles|June 2, 2026

The Pharma Patent Cliff Explained: What It Is and How Companies Navigate It

Author(s)Mike Hollan

Between 2026 and 2030, billions of dollars in revenue will be at risk due to expiring patents and periods of exclusivity.

In the coming years, about 200 drugs will have their patents or terms of exclusivity come to an end. These drugs make up an estimated $400 billion in revenue for the pharma industry. While this isn’t the first patent cliff to hit the industry, it is the largest its ever faced.

Related to this article

Pharmaceutical Executive Daily
FDA approves Ultragenyx's Fayuvi as the first treatment for Sanfilippo syndrome type A, Lisata Therapeutics acquires Marea Therapeutics as mAbxience partners with Sandoz on a hemophilia A biosimilar, and Joe Cunningham argues that executive drug-pricing deals alone won't fix costs.