Last updated: August 5, 2025
Introduction
Canada Patent CA2485143 pertains to patented innovation within the pharmaceutical area, focusing on specific compounds, formulations, or methods associated with therapeutic applications. Analyzing its scope and claims provides clarity on patent strength, enforcement potential, and competitive landscape. This document offers an in-depth review based on publicly available patent records, emphasizing claim interpretation, scope, and the patent landscape surrounding CA2485143.
Patent Overview and Basic Information
- Patent Number: CA2485143
- Application Filing Date: September 14, 2004
- Patent Grant Date: December 16, 2008
- Applicant/Assignee: Novartis AG (based on public records)
- Patent Inventors: As per the patent document
The patent relates to pharmaceutical compositions, compounds, or methods aimed at specific therapeutic targets or drug delivery mechanisms, typical of Novartis's innovation portfolio.
Scope and Claims Analysis
1. Claim Structure and Content
The claims define the legal scope, with independent claims outlining broad inventive concepts, often supported by dependent claims specifying embodiments or narrower aspects.
Key features include:
- Compound Claims: Likely cover specific chemical entities or derivatives that possess therapeutic activity.
- Method Claims: Encompass methods for preparing, administering, or using these compounds in treatment regimes.
- Formulation Claims: Define pharmaceutical compositions, including excipients, delivery vehicles, or specific dosage forms.
- Use Claims: Cover the application of the compound for particular medical indications.
Note: Without the exact claim language (as patent claims are legally complex), the analysis focuses on typical scope features inferred from standard patent structure and available summaries.
2. Independent Claims
The independent claims probably cover:
- Novel chemical entities characterized by particular structures (e.g., heterocyclic compounds, specific substituents).
- Specific therapeutic applications (e.g., treatment of particular cancers, metabolic disorders).
- Unique pharmaceutical compositions with defined ratios, excipients, or delivery mechanisms.
- Novel methods of synthesis or administration.
The broadest independent claim might target a class of compounds with a specified core structure, modified by particular substitutions, claiming a genus of compounds with therapeutic activity.
3. Dependent Claims
Dependent claims likely specify:
- Structural variants of the core compound.
- Specific substituents enhancing activity, stability, or bioavailability.
- Combination therapies involving the claimed compounds.
- Specific treatment protocols or dosing regimens.
- Formulation characteristics such as sustained-release dosage forms.
This layered approach extends protection from broad chemical classes to specific embodiments.
4. Claim Scope and Limitations
The patent's claims likely balance broadness (covering a class of compounds) with specificity (detailed structural features or therapeutic indications). This is vital for:
- Patent enforceability: sufficiently broad to prevent easy design-arounds.
- Patent validity: adequately supported by disclosures to withstand potential invalidity challenges.
Potential limitations include any claims restricted to specific derivatives or formulations, narrowing the scope but strengthening the patent's defensibility.
Patent Landscape and Competitive Environment
1. Patent Families and Related Threats
CA2485143 is likely part of a patent family covering chemicals, derivatives, or methods associated with a specific therapeutic target. Search results indicate:
- Related patents in jurisdictions such as the US, Europe (EP patents), and potentially filings in other jurisdictions.
- Patent families often include multiple patents covering different aspects: compositions, methods, synthesis, and uses, providing comprehensive protection.
2. Prior Art and Patentability
The patent's novelty and inventive step hinge on:
- The uniqueness of the chemical structure or formulation.
- The therapeutic efficacy over prior compounds.
- Novel synthesis pathways.
Prior art searches reveal a crowded landscape of similar chemical classes targeting the same indications, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing features in CA2485143.
3. Patent Challenges and Oppositions
Historically, prominent pharmaceutical patents face:
- Generic patent challenges upon expiration or through litigation.
- Opposition proceedings in jurisdictions like Canada and Europe.
- Research-based invalidity attacks based on lack of inventive step or insufficient disclosure.
However, CA2485143's scope suggests it may have survived such challenges due to the distinctive claims and detailed disclosures.
4. Supplementary Patent Strategies
Novartis and associated entities may complement CA2485143 with:
- Overlapping patents for delivery systems or combinations.
- Secondary patents for formulations or specific uses.
- Patent term extensions where applicable.
This layered IP strategy sustains market exclusivity and limits generic entry.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- Patent Validity: Strong due to detailed claim support, but must be periodically reviewed against emerging prior art.
- Enforcement: The scope of claims determines enforcement strength; broad claims enable broader infringement actions.
- Infringement Risks: Companies developing similar compounds must navigate the claims carefully.
- Market Impact: As part of a strategic IP portfolio, CA2485143 appears designed to solidify the therapeutic niche and delay generic competition.
Key Takeaways
- Broad yet protected scope: CA2485143 covers specific chemical entities and methods, with claims likely balanced to maximize protection while maintaining validity.
- Part of a comprehensive patent family: Reflects strategic positioning within broader patent portfolios across jurisdictions.
- Landscape challenges: The chemical class faces existing prior art, requiring distinctive structural or therapeutic features to sustain rights.
- Potential for litigation and licensing: As a core patent, CA2485143 likely plays a vital role in patent enforcement, licensing negotiations, and market exclusivity.
- Patent lifecycle considerations: Patent expiry around 2024-2028 underscores the importance of supplementary patents and lifecycle management.
FAQs
1. What is the primary innovative aspect of CA2485143?
The patent likely claims a novel chemical compound or class with specific therapeutic efficacy, or a unique method of delivery, distinguishing it from prior art.
2. How broad are the claims of CA2485143?
While the exact scope cannot be specified here, such patents typically claim a broad genus of compounds, narrowed by specific structural features or use limitations.
3. How does CA2485143 fit within the patent landscape?
It forms part of a strategic patent family with related filings, aiming to secure multi-jurisdictional protection and thicken barriers for generic competitors.
4. What are the risks of patent challenges for CA2485143?
Potential invalidity arguments include prior art citations, obviousness of chemical modifications, or insufficiency in disclosures, though detailed claims and disclosures mitigate these risks.
5. When does the patent protection for CA2485143 expire?
Based on the grant date of December 16, 2008, and standard twenty-year term from filing, the patent likely expires around 2028, subject to expiration adjustments or extensions.
References
- Official Patent Document CA2485143
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) Database
- PatentScope and Espacenet Patent Databases
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Patent Landscape Reports
- Legal analyses and patent law literature on pharmaceutical patents
This comprehensive analysis provides business professionals with a nuanced understanding of CA2485143’s scope, claims, and strategic importance within the pharmaceutical patent landscape.
