Wall Street Journal
The first patent on OxyContin expires Tuesday, a milestone in the history of one of the most powerful and abused painkillers on the market. But it could be quite some time before generic versions of the drug are available. Generic-drug makers have lined up to make their own versions of the medication, which has become synonymous with painkiller abuse. But first, they must wait for the Food and Drug Administration to decide whether they may produce the original version of OxyContin—the one losing patent protection—or whether they may make only newer versions designed to impede abuse, which won't come off patent for several more years.
