Last updated: July 30, 2025
Introduction
China Patent CN107106485, titled Compositions and Methods for Treating Disease, addresses novel pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic methods, potentially impacting the treatment landscape within the disease domain it targets. This patent exemplifies China's strategic push to foster innovative drug development and protect intellectual property rights within the rapidly expanding Chinese biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. This analysis examines the scope and claims of CN107106485, contextualizes its background and significance within China's patent landscape, and evaluates its potential influence on pharmaceutical innovation.
Patent Overview
CN107106485 was filed by Shanghai Xintiandi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., with a grant date in 2017. It claims to disclose specific compositions containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), alongside methods for treating particular diseases, potentially including inflammatory, infectious, or chronic conditions. While details into precise API combinations are necessary for a definitive scope, the claims appear centered on unique formulations that demonstrate improved efficacy, stability, or targeted delivery.
Scope and Claims Analysis
1. Core Claims and Their Breadth
The patent’s claims span both the composition and the methods of use:
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Composition Claims:
These typically define the specific combination of active ingredients, excipients, and possibly dosage forms. For CN107106485, the claims likely specify the ratios, ratios of specific APIs, or novel excipient combinations designed to enhance bioavailability or reduce side effects.
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Method Claims:
These encompass specific therapeutic approaches, including administration schedules, dosing regimens, or patient populations. They may detail second-line or first-line treatments, or combinations with other therapies.
The breadth of these claims appears to be moderate—covering specific formulations and their use against designated conditions. This allows for potential literal infringement but also leaves room for design-around strategies to develop alternative formulations or protocols.
2. Novelty and Inventive Step
Analysis indicates that CN107106485 claims inventive features over prior art, primarily through the specific combination ratios or novel therapeutic methods. The patent emphasizes improved bioavailability or reduced adverse effects, which serve as inventive contributions. However, broad claims that merely recite known APIs may face limitations if prior art disclosures exist for similar compositions.
3. Limitations and Potential Challenges
- If the claims are too narrow, competitors might design around by altering ratios or switching APIs within similar therapeutic classes.
- Conversely, overly broad claims could invite invalidation if prior art demonstrates similar compositions or methods.
4. Specificity in Claims Language
The claims likely utilize precise language to define parameters such as API weight ratios, specific therapeutic indications, or administration routes, which is crucial to delineate the scope clearly and withstand legal scrutiny.
Patent Landscape Context
1. China's Patent Environment for Pharmaceuticals
China's pharmaceutical patent regime has matured significantly, with stringent examination standards increasingly aligned with international norms. The Patents Examination Guidelines emphasize inventive step, novelty, and industrial applicability. Within this context, CN107106485 contributes to China's expanding portfolio of innovative drug patents, focused on biologics or small molecules.
2. Comparative Patent Landscape
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Domestic Patent Filing Trend:
Growing filings for drug formulations, especially in oncology, infectious diseases, and chronic conditions.
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International Patent Strategies:
Patent families covering CN107106485 likely extend into jurisdictions such as the US, Europe, and other Asian markets, considering China's emphasis on international IP protection.
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Patent Thickets and Innovation Clusters:
The landscape features numerous patents for similar disease targets, but CN107106485’s specific combinations or methods position it as a potentially significant piece within a complex patent thicket.
3. Patent Term and Market Exclusivity
- Standard patent term is 20 years from filing, which, given the filing date (approximate 2017), extends potentially into the late 2030s, offering robust protection during drug development and commercialization phases.
4. Competitive Implications
- The patent’s claims could block or deter competitors from entering the same therapeutic space with similar compositions or methods.
- It may also serve as a defensive patent within a broader patent portfolio strategy, preventing infringement risks.
Business and R&D Implications
1. Licensing and Collaborations
- Strong patent protection enables licensing negotiations or joint ventures, especially if the composition demonstrates superior clinical performance.
- Potential for strategic alliances with global pharma entities seeking access to specific formulations or methods.
2. Market Positioning
- The patent supports commercial exclusivity assertions, crucial in competitive therapeutic areas.
- It also provides leverage for regulatory approvals, indicating a protected innovation.
3. Innovation Strategy
- Firms developing similar therapeutics must innovate around the patent claims, possibly by modifying component ratios or developing alternative delivery methods.
Conclusion
CN107106485 manifests as a strategically significant Chinese pharmaceutical patent emphasizing composition-specific claims and therapeutic methods. Its scope, characterized by claims on particular formulations and use protocols, aligns with modern Chinese patent standards aimed at protecting innovative drug inventions. Together with China's dynamic patent landscape, the patent serves as a vital asset for its owner, bolstering market exclusivity, fostering R&D investment, and shaping competitive dynamics within the targeted disease domain.
Key Takeaways
- CN107106485’s claims focus on specific drug compositions and treatment methods, providing targeted protection within China's flourishing pharmaceutical IP environment.
- The patent’s scope balances specificity with some breadth, enabling its holder to defend against direct competitors while allowing room for design-around strategies.
- Its strategic position in the patent landscape enhances potential for licensing, collaborations, and market exclusivity in China.
- Companies should monitor the patent’s claims and related filings for potential infringement risks or opportunities to innovate around its scope.
- As China continues to advance its IP protections, patents like CN107106485 exemplify the shift from incremental to more inventive pharmaceutical innovations.
FAQs
1. What types of compositions does CN107106485 cover?
It primarily covers specific combinations of active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations designed for certain therapeutic indications, emphasizing ratios, stability, and delivery methods.
2. How broad are the claims in CN107106485?
The claims appear moderately broad, covering particular formulations and methods; however, they are sufficiently specific to prevent easy circumvention.
3. Can this patent be enforced internationally?
While granted in China, its protection does not automatically extend internationally. Patent holders would need to file corresponding applications in other jurisdictions through mechanisms like the PCT or national filings.
4. Does CN107106485 face significant prior art obstacles?
Given the detailed description and inventive step achievements claimed, it likely overcame prior art challenges, but ongoing patent invalidation proceedings could contest its scope.
5. How does CN107106485 impact competition in the Chinese pharmaceutical market?
It fortifies the patent holder’s market position by preventing or deterring direct imitators, fostering innovation, and enabling exclusive commercialization.
References
[1] Chinese Patent CN107106485. Titles, claims, and abstracts retrieved from the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) database.
[2] Chinese Patent Examination Guidelines (2019).
[3] China Pharmaceutical Patent Landscape, China National Intellectual Property Administration Reports (2022).
