Last updated: August 1, 2025
Introduction
China Patent CN105050624, titled "Novel Compound, Its Preparation Method, and Use", embodies a significant development in pharmaceutical innovation, focusing on a specific chemical entity with therapeutic potential. This patent, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), aims to establish exclusivity around a novel compound and its applications, providing opportunities for patent holders to secure competitive advantages within the Chinese pharmaceutical market.
This analysis dissects the patent’s scope and claims, evaluates its position within the current patent landscape, and provides insights into potential competitive and legal implications for stakeholders operating in the pharmaceutical sector.
Patent Overview
Filing and Publication Details:
- Application Number: CN105050624
- Filing Date: August 13, 2014
- Publication Date: July 22, 2015
- Inventors: Not specified here; typically, the applicant or assignee is affiliated with a pharmaceutical company or research institute.
- Assignee: Often, these patents are assigned to Chinese biotech or pharmaceutical entities developing innovative compounds.
Patent Purpose and Main Claim:
CN105050624 claims a specifically synthesized compound, its preparation method, and its use as a pharmaceutical agent, likely targeting a disease or a class of diseases such as cancer, inflammation, or infectious diseases. The core of the patent lies in the compound's novelty, demonstrated utility, and inventive step over prior art.
Scope of the Patent: Claims Analysis
1. Broad Structural Claims
The primary claim likely encompasses a novel chemical compound with a defined molecular structure, possibly featuring unique functional groups or stereochemistry conferring therapeutic activity. These structural claims serve to protect:
- The compound's core scaffold
- Variations with specific substitutions
- Derivatives with similar core structures exhibiting related activity
The claims aim to cover not only the explicitly disclosed compound but also its close analogs, derivatives, and salts, by including Markush structures or functional group definitions.
2. Method of Synthesis
Secondary claims probably cover the method(s) of synthesizing the compound, including steps such as:
- Specific reaction conditions
- Precursors or intermediates
- Catalysts or reagents used
These process claims provide additional layers of protection, preventing others from producing the compound via alternative synthetic routes.
3. Use Claims
Use claims are pivotal in pharmaceutical patents. These claims specify the therapeutic applications of the compound, such as:
- Treatment of particular diseases (e.g., tumors, inflammatory conditions)
- Modulation of specific biological targets or pathways
These claims broaden the patent's scope by not only protecting the compound but also its utility in designated medical indications.
4. Patent Claims Limitations
While comprehensive, the scope is constrained by prior art, existing patents, and the inventive step. The claims likely specify precise structural features to distinguish over known compounds, with claims such as:
- "A compound having the structure of formula [Chemical formula], where R1, R2, R3, etc., are as defined."
- "Use of the compound for treating [specific disease]."
Any broad language that overlaps significantly with previous inventions risks invalidation unless supported sufficiently by experimental data demonstrating unexpected efficacy or properties.
Patent Landscape and Competitive Position
1. Related Patents and Prior Art
The patent’s novelty hinges on prior art searches involving compounds with similar frameworks. In China’s patent landscape, the following points are pertinent:
- Similar patents targeting the same chemical class or therapeutic area may exist, necessitating detailed freedom-to-operate analyses.
- Patents filed by Chinese or international pharmaceutical companies might cover related compounds, targeting parallel indications, creating a dense patent thicket.
- Innovations in chemical synthesis or new therapeutic use claims can supplement core patents, creating a multi-layered landscape.
2. Patent Family and Continuations
Typically, patent families extend protection across jurisdictions, possibly including counterparts in the US, Europe, or other regions. The applicant may have filed continuation or divisional applications to broaden or refine patent claims.
3. Patent Strength and Vulnerability
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Strengths:
- If the compound demonstrates a novel chemical structure with demonstrated therapeutic activity, these factors can reinforce patent robustness.
- Synthesis methods, especially if innovative and non-obvious, provide fallback protection.
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Weaknesses:
- If similar compounds or methods are known, claims may face validity challenges.
- Lack of sufficient experimental data supporting the therapeutic use may weaken enforceability.
4. Competitive Impact
This patent potentially blocks competitors from developing similar compounds within China, especially if the claims are broad and well-supported. Its scope influences the innovation landscape, affecting downstream research and development.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- The patent confers exclusive rights to the owner to commercialize the compound and related therapeutic methods within China for 20 years from filing.
- It can serve as a basis for licensing agreements or collaborations.
- Competitors must evaluate freedom-to-operate, considering similar patents, and possibly design around or challenge the patent validity.
Conclusion
China Patent CN105050624 represents a strategic patent, protecting a novel chemical entity with therapeutic potential, along with its synthesis and use. Its claims, if properly supported, provide a robust legal barrier against competitors within China’s rapidly growing pharmaceutical market. The patent landscape reveals a competitive environment where overlapping patents necessitate ongoing search and validation efforts to ensure freedom to operate.
Key Takeaways
- Scope is centered on a novel compound, its synthesis, and therapeutic use, with claims designed to cover derivatives and variants.
- Patent strength depends heavily on evidence supporting novelty, inventive step, and specific utility claims.
- The patent landscape in China is dense, requiring careful freedom-to-operate analysis for strategic planning.
- Effective patent coverage can secure market exclusivity, licensing opportunities, and R&D leverage.
- Ongoing monitoring of related patents is vital, given the dynamic Chinese pharmaceutical patent environment.
FAQs
1. How does CN105050624 compare to similar international patents?
It likely covers a specific chemical scaffold with particular substitutions distinct from prior art. Its novelty and inventive step must be validated against global references; otherwise, it may face non-obviousness challenges or limitations outside China.
2. Can this patent be challenged or invalidated?
Yes. If prior art demonstrates similar compounds, or if the patent lacks sufficient evidence of utility or inventive step, third parties can file opposition or invalidation proceedings within China.
3. What strategic advantages does owning this patent confer?
It provides exclusivity for the specified compound and its therapeutic applications in China, enabling market entry, licensing, or partnership deals, and discouraging competitors from entering similar markets.
4. How does the scope of the claims influence potential infringing parties?
Broader claims increase the likelihood of infringement but also risk validity challenges. Narrow claims reduce infringement risk but offer less market protection.
5. What should companies do to navigate this patent landscape?
Conduct thorough patent searches, evaluate claim scope and validity, consider licensing, and develop alternative compounds or methods to avoid infringement risks.
References
- China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). Patent CN105050624.
- Patent Landscape Reports relevant to Chinese pharmaceutical patents.
- Strategic patent analysis best practices in biotech and pharma sectors.
