patent cliff
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of patent cliff
First recorded in 2005–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Over the last several years, we’ve done quite a bit of business development activity, putting products into our business that will help us offset the patent cliff over time.”
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
The drug faces a so-called patent cliff in 2028, when protections are set to expire, opening the door to competition from copycat drugs called biosimilars.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 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
It also has promising drugs like newly launched flu-drug Xofluza but the patent cliff for its HIV treatments will create an earnings gap that will be hard to completely offset.
From Reuters • Jul. 16, 2019
Forester: That’s making the franchise of Amgen worth more because they’re not having as large of an impact at the patent cliff.
From Forbes • Sep. 4, 2014
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
