Last reviewed on RxList 9/14/2016. Estrace (estradiol) vaginal cream is a preparation of estrogen, a female hormone, for topical application to the vaginal area used to treat certain symptoms of menopause such as dryness, burning, and itching of the vaginal area and urgency or irritation with urination.
A provisional application for patent lasts 12 months from its filing date. The USPTO will not grant extensions for any reason. The inventor(s) must file a Non-Provisional Patent Application within that period to take advantage of the Provisional Application for Patent's filing date.
What happens after 12 months when the provisional patent expires if the filer has not converted it to a non-provisional? Does the non-provisional have to be obtained before the provisional expires, or is there some window after the expiration where the non-provisional can still be obtained?