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Abstract
Gefitinib (Iressa®, AstraZeneca) was the first quinazoline-based kinase inhibitor to be approved for the treatment of cancer. This article traces the patent filings related to gefitinib that form the basis of the AstraZeneca patent estate surrounding this important agent. In addition, this review also identifies applications from inventors outside of the AstraZeneca organisation that claim either gefitinib, or other aspects of the intellectual property (IP) associated with gefitinib, as a therapeutic agent. As a case study in building a patent estate around a marketed drug, the story of gefitinib highlights some of the IP benefits and liabilities of being first to market in a new therapeutic category.