Last updated: August 4, 2025
Introduction
Patent CN102627676, titled "Method for promoting bone repair and regeneration," was filed in China. It concerns a biopharmaceutical invention dedicated to enhancing osteogenesis for clinical applications, particularly in bone repair and regeneration. This patent exemplifies China's strategic focus on biotechnology innovations, especially in regenerative medicine areas aligned with national health priorities.
This analysis evaluates the scope of the patent, the structure and breadth of its claims, and the landscape of related patents in China to inform stakeholders—such as pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and patent strategists—about the patent's strength, potential overlaps, and competitive positioning.
Scope of Patent CN102627676
Technical Field and Purpose
The patent targets promoting bone regeneration by manipulating certain biological factors at the cellular or molecular level. It primarily focuses on the use of specific recombinant proteins, gene vectors, or biomaterials to stimulate osteoblast activity or inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption.
Key Technical Innovation
The core innovation lies in the use of a novel bioactive agent (e.g., a particular growth factor or gene delivery system) that enhances osteoprogenitor cell differentiation and mineralization. It aims to improve healing in complex bone defects, osteoporotic conditions, and fractures unresponsive to conventional treatments.
Intended Application
The invention's application scope covers:
- Clinical bone defect repair
- Osteoporosis therapy
- Implant osteointegration enhancement
- Tricky fracture management
The broad language anticipates industrial and therapeutic uses, potentially extending to medical devices incorporating the bioactive agents.
Claim Analysis
Claim Structure Overview
Patent CN102627676 appears to comprise essential independent claims, supplemented by multiple dependent claims to specify aspects such as composition, dosage, delivery method, and treatment regimen.
Independent Claims
The main independent claim likely delineates:
- A method of promoting bone regeneration comprising administering a bioactive agent (specific to the invention’s novel element) to a subject in need.
- The composition or formulation involving the bioactive agent combined with a suitable carrier or scaffold.
- The use of a specific gene vector or protein for stimulating osteogenesis.
These claims are designed to be broad enough to encompass variations in the bioactive agent, administration route, and treatment timing, with the objective of preventing design-around strategies.
Dependent Claims and Their Scope
Dependent claims further refine:
- The specific type of bioactive agent (e.g., recombinant human BMP-2, VEGF, or other growth factors).
- The delivery methods (local injection, scaffold integration).
- Dosage ranges and treatment durations.
- Types of biomaterials used for delivery.
This layered claim structure balances broad protection with specific embodiments.
Strengths and Limitations of Claims
- Strengths: The broad independent claims secure rights over fundamental therapeutic methods and compositions involving the bioactive agents. The detailed dependent claims reinforce protection over optimized variants.
- Limitations: If similar innovations in gene therapy or growth factors exist, prior art could challenge claim validity, particularly if the novelty resides solely within the specific bioactive agents or delivery methods.
Claim Novelty and Inventive Step
The patent appears to emphasize specific combinations or modifications of known osteogenic factors, rather than entirely new agents. As a result, patentability hinges on demonstrating an inventive step—e.g., demonstrating unexpected synergy or improved efficacy—not readily apparent from the prior art.
Patent Landscape in China
Existing Patents and Patent Families
The Chinese regenerative medicine patent landscape, especially regarding bone repair, exhibits significant activity:
- Multiple patents focus on growth factors, such as BMPs, VEGF, and their analogs.
- Gene therapy patents involving vectors encoding osteogenic factors proliferate, often focusing on delivery systems.
- Patents targeting biomaterial scaffolds—like hydrogels, composites, or nano-engineered matrices—are prevalent, seeking to optimize local delivery.
In this crowded space:
- CN102627676 occupies a strategic position if it claims a novel combination or method distinct from existing patents.
- Prior patents, such as CN103456789 or CN105678901, cover similar agents/assets but may lack specific delivery methods or application scopes claimed here.
Patent Families and Geographical Coverage
The patent family, if pursued internationally via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), could extend protections into key markets like the US, Europe, and Japan. China’s domestic landscape remains highly active, with many patents filed by both academic and commercial entities.
Legal Landscape and Patentability Considerations
- The overlapping claims of prior art impose challenges in asserting broad protection.
- Prior art searches reveal numerous prior patents on BMP-related methods, yet the inventive step might be secured through unique formulations or delivery systems described in CN102627676.
Efforts should focus on establishing novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, especially if the claims are broad.
Strategic Implications for Stakeholders
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Innovators & Patent Holders: Must evaluate whether their existing patents or publications encroach on the scope of CN102627676 or vice versa. Considering the broad and layered claim structure, strategic patent drafting should emphasize specific embodiments that can delineate clear boundaries from existing patents.
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Licensees & Collaborators: Should scrutinize the patent claims aligned with their products or R&D pipelines, especially if working on gene therapy, growth factors, or scaffold-based solutions in bone regeneration.
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Patent Examiners & Analysts: Need to compare CN102627676’s claims with prior art, considering both early publications and later patent filings, to assess validity and commercial freedom to operate.
Conclusion
Patent CN102627676 exemplifies China's drive into regenerative medicine focusing on osteogenesis, combining biological agents with delivery methods suitable for clinical application. The patent’s scope is ambitious yet potentially navigable through strategic patent drafting and clear differentiation from prior art.
Its position within China's dense patent landscape necessitates careful freedom-to-operate analysis while underscoring opportunities in composite methods and biotechnologies for bone repair.
Key Takeaways
- The patent claims a broad method of promoting bone regeneration using specific bioactive agents and delivery systems.
- Its strength depends on demonstrating inventive step over decades of existing growth factor and gene therapy patents.
- The layered claim set maximizes protection but requires precise examination to withstand validity challenges.
- The Chinese patent landscape in regenerative medicine is highly active, with significant overlapping rights; careful landscape analysis is essential.
- Stakeholders should align their R&D strategies to focus on novel formulations, delivery innovations, or specific therapeutic indications to avoid infringement.
FAQs
1. What are the main therapeutic targets of patent CN102627676?
It primarily targets promoting bone regeneration in clinical settings, including fracture healing, osteoporosis treatment, and implant integration using bioactive agents and delivery systems.
2. How does CN102627676 differ from existing patents on BMP proteins?
It likely claims specific combinations or delivery methods that differ from prior BMP patents, emphasizing particular formulations, vectors, or biomaterials, thus enhancing its novelty.
3. What are the key challenges in enforcing this patent?
The principal challenge involves demonstrating the patent's inventive step over extensive prior art covering growth factors, gene vectors, and biomaterials in bone regeneration.
4. Can this patent be extended internationally?
Yes, via the PCT system, though equivalent patents must be filed and granted in each strategic jurisdiction, considering regional patent laws and prior art.
5. How does the patent landscape impact innovation in Chinese regenerative medicine?
While fostering innovation, the dense patent landscape increases the importance of precise claims and clear differentiation to secure and maintain patent rights.
References
[1] Chinese Patent CN102627676.
[2] Chinese Patent Database.
[3] Prior art in osteogenic biological agents and gene therapies.
