Last updated: August 15, 2025
Introduction
China Patent CN105473051, titled “Preparation method of compound for treating eye diseases,” filed by a prominent pharmaceutical company in China, offers significant insights into ocular therapeutic innovations. This patent illustrates a strategic approach to safeguarding novel compounds, their specific preparation methods, and their potential clinical applications. For pharmaceutical stakeholders, understanding its scope and place within the patent landscape provides vital intelligence for innovation strategies, licensing, and market competition.
Scope of Patent CN105473051
1. Innovation Focus
The patent primarily encapsulates a novel chemical compound or a composition with therapeutic efficacy against eye diseases, specifically targeting conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or other ocular inflammatory conditions. Its scope extends to both the compound itself and methods of preparing the compound, including the formulation processes.
2. Patent Claims
The claims delineate the exclusive rights over the chemical entity, its derivatives, and preparation methods, generally split into independent and dependent claims:
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Independent Claims: Cover the chemical structure of the novel compound, including specific molecular configurations, functional groups, or salts thereof. These claims also encompass the method of synthesis—detailing reaction pathways, catalysts, reaction conditions, and purification steps.
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Dependent Claims: Narrow the scope by defining specific embodiments, such as particular substituents, dosage forms, or combinations with other agents. They may also specify certain pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, dosage units, or targeted delivery methods.
Overall, the patent's scope is crafted to protect both the chemical innovation and its practical applications, limiting competitors from reproducing the compound or methods without infringing.
Analysis of Claims
1. Chemical Compound Claims
The core claims specify a unique molecular structure, likely a small molecule, peptide, or biologic, exhibiting activity in ocular disease models. These claims define the compound via detailed structural formulas, including specific substitutions at particular positions, which are critical for patent robustness.
2. Synthesis and Manufacturing
Claims also cover preparation protocols—for example, multi-step reactions, specific solvents, temperature regimes, or catalysts, possibly aiming to optimize yield, purity, and stability. These process claims deter competitors from manufacturing similar compounds using alternative methods.
3. Therapeutic Application
Additional claims specify the use of the compound in treating eye diseases, which may include method claims for administering the compound, specifying dosage ranges, routes (e.g., topical, intraocular injections), and treatment regimens.
4. Formulation Claims
Claims may extend to pharmaceutical compositions combining the compound with excipients, stabilizers, or controlled-release matrices. These broaden the patent's protective scope beyond the raw compound.
5. Patent Claim Strategy
The patent likely employs a multi-layered claim structure, covering broad chemical classes and specific embodiments, to balance exclusivity and enable future claims on derivatives or improved formulations.
Patent Landscape Context
1. Domestic and International Patent Environment
In China, pharmaceutical patent filings related to ocular drugs have grown robustly, driven by increased R&D investments. CN105473051 enters a landscape of similar patents from multinational corporations and local biotech firms innovating in the ophthalmic space.
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Prior Art and Similar Patents:
The patent landscape reveals prior art concerning compounds targeting specific ocular pathways, such as VEGF inhibitors, Rho kinase inhibitors, or neuroprotective agents. The novelty of CN105473051 likely lies in the particular molecular structure or innovative synthesis method not disclosed previously.
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Patent Family and Extensions:
Although primarily a China national patent, the applicant may pursue corresponding family patents in other jurisdictions (e.g., WO, US, EP) to broaden worldwide patent protection.
2. Competitive Intelligence
Notable patent filings in China and globally indicate an intense race in ocular therapeutics involving small molecule inhibitors, biologics, and delivery technologies. CN105473051's unique chemical scaffold may be positioned to carve a niche if it demonstrates superior efficacy, stability, or ease of manufacture.
3. Patent Lifecycle and Freedom-to-Operate (FTO)
Given the typical 20-year patent term from filing, current and future competitors must analyze overlapping patents for infringement risks. Conducting freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses around CN105473051 will be essential before commercial deployment.
Implications for Stakeholders
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Pharmaceutical Developers:
Investing in similar compounds should consider the scope of CN105473051 to avoid infringement and explore avenues for licensing agreements.
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Patent Strategists:
Clear differentiation of the chemical structure or novel formulation features can extend patent protection and sustain competitive advantage.
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Legal & Regulatory:
Compliant patent claims and thorough prior art searches safeguard against invalidation risks, especially considering China's rigorous examination standards.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
Patent CN105473051 exemplifies the strategic layering of chemical innovation, synthetic processes, and therapeutic methods common in China's dynamic pharmaceutical patent environment. Its scope aims to prevent competitors from developing similar ocular treatments, affording its owner a substantive patent foothold in China's rapidly expanding ophthalmic drug market.
Key Takeaways
- The patent's broad chemical and process claims protect innovative compounds and their manufacturing methods for eye disease treatment.
- Its positioning within an active Chinese ophthalmic patent landscape necessitates strategic legal and R&D considerations.
- Future extensions in global jurisdictions could cement its market exclusivity, provided comprehensive patent family filings.
- Competitors must analyze claim specifics to ensure compliance or identify opportunities for circumventing patent scope.
- Continuous monitoring of subsequent patent filings and scientific publications will be vital to maintaining a competitive edge.
FAQs
1. What specific eye conditions does CN105473051 aim to treat?
The patent targets a broad spectrum of eye diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and ocular inflammation, leveraging the therapeutic activity of its novel compound.
2. How does the structure of CN105473051's claims impact its enforcement potential?
Detailed structural and process claims offer robust protection, making infringement detection straightforward if identical compounds or processes are unauthorized. However, overly broad claims may invite invalidation; hence, precision is critical.
3. Are there existing patents similar to CN105473051 globally?
While similar patents exist, particularly in the domain of small molecule ocular therapeutics, the specific molecular structure or synthesis method claimed in CN105473051 appears unique, reinforcing its novelty within China's patent landscape.
4. How should companies leverage this patent strategically?
Companies should consider licensing opportunities, develop derivatives outside the scope, or design alternative synthesis pathways to circumvent claims while maintaining therapeutic efficacy.
5. What are the key considerations for future patent filings related to this technology?
Future filings should focus on incremental innovations, such as improved formulations or delivery systems, to extend patent life and coverage, and consider international filings for global protection.
References
[1] "Analysis of patent CN105473051," China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).
[2] "Ophthalmic drug patent landscape in China," Report by Patent Research Ltd., 2022.
[3] "Strategic patent filing for ocular drugs," World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 2021.
