patent cliff

American  

noun

1. a potential sharp drop in sales and revenue for a company when one of its patents expires.

   the looming patent cliffs faced by pharmaceutical firms.

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Etymology

Origin of patent cliff

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

patent cliff

And just like supermarket shoppers, a CEO who walks into the store hungry—staring down a patent cliff with an empty pipeline—is far more prone to expensive, panic-driven mistakes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Merck’s shares are up more than 60% in the past 12 months, even as it approaches its patent cliff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The positive trial results bolster Merck’s strategy to counter Keytruda’s patent cliff, which begins in 2028.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

“The good news is that we knew the patent cliff was coming,” Chief Financial Officer David Denton told Barron’s.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

The biggest winners share another thing in common: Their businesses look set to keep growing, without an imminent patent cliff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026