AstraZeneca has filed requests in Germany for preliminary injunctions against eight companies, has filed six main actions and is currently defending its patent rights in seven other patent cases related to omeprazole. In August 1999, AstraZeneca was granted an interlocutory injunction to prevent Ratiopharm GmbH and Merckle GmbH selling a generic version of omeprazole.

The substance patent for omeprazole began expiring in the first countries in 1999. In most countries, AstraZeneca has been granted Patent Term Extensions or Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). This extended coverage for the substance expires in the USA in 2001, in most European countries in 2002-2004, and in Japan in 2004. The product is also protected by patents directed to formulations, uses, intermediates and processes.