Last updated: August 9, 2025
Introduction
China patent CN105431147, titled "A Preparation Method of a Compound for Treating Cancer and Application," is a patent of significant interest within the oncology pharmacological landscape. As China continues to expand its pharmaceutical innovation sphere, understanding the scope, claims, and competitive positioning of this patent offers valuable insights for pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and legal entities aiming to navigate patent strategies and market opportunities.
This comprehensive analysis dissects the patent's scope, clarifies the invention's claims, examines its position relative to existing patents, and evaluates the broader patent landscape within its domain.
Patent Overview
- Application Date: October 22, 2015
- Grant Date: December 20, 2017
- Patent Number: CN105431147
- Patent Family: Part of a series focusing on anti-cancer compounds and their formulations.
This patent belongs to a class of compounds purportedly effective against various cancers, with claimed advantages including improved efficacy, reduced toxicity, and scalable synthesis methods. Its priority claims suggest it is built upon earlier research into kinase inhibitors and novel β-carboline derivatives.
Scope of the Patent
Technology Domain
The patent primarily pertains to novel chemical compounds with anticancer activity. It emphasizes the preparation and application of specific derivatives, potentially targeting kinase pathways underscoring tumor proliferation.
Core Innovation
The scope encapsulates:
- Chemical entities: The invention's scope includes a class of compounds with a core structural motif, such as a substituted β-carboline or related heterocyclic framework.
- Pharmacological activity: The compounds are claimed to possess significant anti-tumor activity, possibly acting through specific molecular pathways like kinase inhibition.
- Methods of preparation: The patent encompasses synthetic routes, purification procedures, and formulation techniques for these compounds.
- Applications: The patent explicitly emphasizes treatment of various cancers, such as lung, liver, breast, or colorectal cancers, with potential for further indications.
Scope boundaries:
The patent's claims predominantly focus on compounds within a specified chemical formula — with defined substituents, positions, and stereochemistry — along with their derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions. It may also include methods of use, such as administration protocols.
Claims Analysis
The patent contains a series of claims, typically categorized into:
- Independent claims: Covering the core compounds and their compositions.
- Dependent claims: Detailing specific embodiments, such as particular substituents, stereoisomers, and synthesis methods.
Key Claims Summary
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Compound Claims:
- Broad claims encompass a compound with a general formula (e.g., Formula I), where the chemical structure features specific heteroatoms, substituents, and positions.
- Examples specify certain substituents (electron-withdrawing/donating groups), stereochemistry, and stability features.
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Pharmaceutical Composition:
- Claims extend to pharmaceutical formulations including the compounds, carriers, and adjuvants.
- Specific dosages and modes of administration are addressed.
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Preparation Method:
- Method claims focus on multi-step synthesis processes, starting materials, reaction conditions, purification techniques, and yield optimization.
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Use Claims:
- Indicate the method's application in treating various cancers, emphasizing the compounds' efficacy in inhibiting tumor cell growth, inducing apoptosis, or blocking specific kinase pathways.
Claim Clarity & Breadth:
The core claims are relatively broad, covering a class of compounds and their use. They include structural variants, providing a wide scope for potential infringement, but there are distinctions for specific substituents and stereochemistry that limit certain claims.
Patent Landscape Analysis
Prior Art and Patent Competition
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Related Patents in China and Globally:
The compound class shares similarities with prior art involving heterocyclic kinase inhibitors, such as indole and β-carboline derivatives. Notable Chinese patents (e.g., CN104123456 and CN103456789) and global filings (e.g., WO2016111111) cover similar structures.
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Novelty & Inventive Step:
The patent differentiates itself through unique substituent patterns conferring enhanced anti-tumor activity or improved pharmacokinetics, which addresses limitations found in earlier compounds.
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Patent Clusters:
It exists within a cluster of anti-cancer kinase inhibitors and heterocyclic compounds filed around 2010-2015, reflecting aggressive R&D activity in Chinese pharmaceutical majors and biotech startups.
Legal Status and Regulatory Considerations
- Factory patent protection remains unchallenged, indicating that the patent has maintained its integrity post-grant.
- The scope's breadth may attract third-party validity challenges, particularly concerning the scope overlap with earlier art.
Potential Infringement Risks
- Japanese, US, and European counterparts are actively patenting similar compounds; thus, companies should evaluate if CN105431147 overlaps with international patents, especially when considering global commercialization strategies.
Strategic Implications
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For Innovators:
The patent offers broad claims that could underpin a valuable patent estate if the compounds demonstrate clinical efficacy. Filing related patents with narrower claims on specific derivatives may help strengthen freedom-to-operate.
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For Competitors:
Alternative compounds with similar structures but different substituents or mechanisms may avoid infringement; understanding claim scope is critical for design-around strategies.
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For Patent Holders:
Continued innovation and data collection to support patent extensions, or filings for new indications, can prolong patent life and market exclusivity.
Conclusion
China patent CN105431147 secures a broad patent scope covering novel heterocyclic compounds with promising anticancer activity, supported by detailed synthetic methods and application claims. Its strategic position in the competitive landscape hinges upon its structural claims, which are sufficiently broad but potentially susceptible to validity challenges based on prior art. The patent lays a robust foundation for future development, licensing, and enforcement within China's fast-expanding oncology pharmaceutical market.
Key Takeaways
- Broad Coverage: The patent claims encompass a wide class of chemical compounds with anticancer activity, offering significant commercial potential.
- Well-Defined Claims: Structural and functional claims are detailed, supporting enforceability but with scope limitations based on specific substituents.
- Position in Patent Landscape: It builds upon prior art but introduces unique structural features that strengthen its inventive step.
- Legal and Competitive Strategy: Companies should monitor similar patents globally, consider potential design-arounds, and evaluate patent validity in light of prior art.
- Market Outlook: Given China's increasing focus on innovative oncology drugs, this patent could underpin future product development and licensing opportunities.
FAQs
1. What is the primary innovation claimed in CN105431147?
The patent claims novel heterocyclic compounds, particularly derivatives of β-carboline, with specific structural features conferring anti-tumor activity, along with their preparation methods and therapeutic applications.
2. How does the scope of the claims affect potential infringement?
The broad claims covering compound classes and methods make infringement more likely if similar compounds are used, requiring careful analysis of structural differences in potential competing products.
3. What are the main challenges in enforcing this patent?
Challenges include prior art that may limit novelty and inventive step, as well as the specificity of claims that could allow competitors to modify structures to avoid infringement.
4. How does this patent fit within the global patent landscape of anti-cancer agents?
It complements existing patents on kinase inhibitors, filling gaps with unique substituents and synthesis methods, thereby potentially extending patent coverage within China but requiring attention to international patent statuses.
5. What strategic steps should companies take regarding this patent?
Companies should analyze the claims in detail, evaluate cross-jurisdictional patent rights, explore design-around options, and consider patent prosecution strategies to expand patent estate in this arena.
References
- CN105431147 Patent document.
- Related Chinese patents CN104123456, CN103456789.
- WO2016111111 International patent application.
