 Modafinil is marketed in the United States by Cephalon, who originally leased the rights from Lafon, but eventually purchased the company in 2001.Cephalon began to market armodafinil, the ("R")-enantiomer of modafinil, in the United States in 2007.After protracted patent litigation and negotiations (see below), generic versions of modafinil became available in the US in 2012.

 was issued to Laboratoire L. Lafon on May 22, 1990, covering the chemical compound modafinil.