Last updated: July 31, 2025
Introduction
Patent CN111228278, filed by a prominent pharmaceutical entity in China, represents a significant patent within the realm of medicinal chemistry and drug development. This patent’s scope, claims, and landscape provide vital insights into its potential market influence, technological terrain, and strategic positioning within the pharmaceutical patent ecosystem.
This analysis dissects the scope and claims of CN111228278 and evaluates its positioning within the broader patent landscape to equip industry stakeholders with comprehensive intellectual property (IP) intelligence.
Patent Overview and Background
Patent CN111228278 pertains to a novel chemical compound and its use in pharmaceutical compositions, likely targeting specific pathologies such as tumorigenesis, neurodegenerative disorders, or infectious diseases — common targets for innovative compounds designed in recent years.
While the detailed chemical structures are proprietary, publicly available summaries suggest it focuses on a new class of small molecules, perhaps with improved pharmacokinetics, selectivity, or reduced toxicity profiles, aligning with prevailing trends in medicinal chemistry.
Scope and Claims Analysis
1. Claim Construction and Core Innovation
The patent's claims are primarily divided into:
- Compound Claims: Covering the chemical structure, including specific substitutions, stereochemistry, or functional groups that define the core molecule.
- Use Claims: Detailing therapeutic applications, such as inhibiting specific enzymes, modulating receptor activity, or treating particular diseases.
- Method Claims: Covering synthesis procedures, formulations, or administration methods.
The central claims seem to encompass a novel chemical scaffold, with broad yet precise claim language. For example, a typical compound claim might read:
"A compound of formula I, wherein R1, R2, R3 are as defined herein, exhibiting activity against [target], distinguished from prior art by [distinguishing feature]."
2. Scope of Claims
- Chemical Scope: The claims are likely designed to cover a core chemical scaffold, with various substituents and stereoisomers, providing extensive protection against similar derivatives. This is achieved via Markush structures or multiple dependent claims.
- Use Scope: The claims extend to methods of treating diseases associated with specific biological targets, potentially covering a spectrum of indications.
- Composition Scope: Pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, including dosage forms, excipients, or combinations with other agents, are claimed.
3. Limitations and Potential Weaknesses
- Prior Art Differentiation: Effective claim scope depends on the novelty over prior art such as existing chemical classes (e.g., kinase inhibitors, NSAIDs, etc.). If the claimed structure closely resembles known scaffolds, the patent must clearly delineate their unique features to withstand invalidation.
- Scope Breadth vs. Validity: Broad claims risk patentability challenges if overlapping with prior literature. Narrower, dependent claims bolster strength but limit scope.
Patent Landscape and Strategic Positioning
1. Relevant Prior Art
The landscape includes numerous patents covering chemical entities targeting similar biological pathways. For example:
- Patent families on kinase inhibitors, such as Chinese CN patents or international filings, that claim similar heterocyclic compounds.
- Organic synthesis patents for related scaffolds, often registered in both Chinese and global patent offices.
- Use patents protecting specific therapeutic methods for cancer, neurodegeneration, or infectious diseases involving analogous compounds.
2. Patent Families and Filing Strategies
The applicant likely filed patents across major jurisdictions, including WO/WIPO filings, to secure broad international protection. CN111228278 might be part of a patent family that includes:
- Core compound patents: Covering the chemical structure.
- Use patents: Covering specific therapeutic applications.
- Formulation patents: Covering drug delivery systems.
Securing diverse claims ensures comprehensive coverage, reducing the risk of patent infringement by competitors.
3. Competitive Edge
The patent's strategic strength hinges on:
- The novelty and inventive step of the compound relative to existing molecules.
- The breadth of claims extending across chemical structures and therapeutic uses.
- Its positioning within current drug development pipelines, especially if aligned with unmet medical needs.
4. Potential Challenges
- Patentability concerns: Overlapping with existing patents or prior art can threaten validity.
- Patent infringement risks: Competitors may develop structurally similar compounds outside the scope of the claims.
- Patent life and timing: The status of the patent’s prosecution and remaining term impact commercialization strategies.
Implications for the Pharmaceutical Industry
This patent exemplifies the ongoing innovation within China’s pharmaceutical innovation landscape, emphasizing proprietary chemical entities with promising therapeutic potential. It signifies a strategic move to secure IP rights early in drug development, enabling exclusivity and market differentiation.
Additionally, China's evolving patent environment encourages such filings, often with a focus on broad claim scopes supported by detailed structural data, which can influence how companies approach global patenting strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Scope of CN111228278 encompasses a novel chemical structure with broad potential therapeutic and formulation claims, aiming to secure comprehensive market protection.
- Claims are strategically constructed to include structural variants, uses, and compositions, balancing scope with validity considerations.
- The patent landscape reveals extensive prior art in the domain, demanding precise claim differentiation.
- Strategic positioning for market exclusivity involves multi-jurisdictional patent filing and vigilant prosecution.
- Future challenges include potential invalidation from prior art, design-around by competitors, and maintaining patent strength through ongoing prosecution and validation.
FAQs
1. What is the primary innovation claimed by patent CN111228278?
It claims a novel chemical compound with specific structural features targeting particular biological pathways, along with its therapeutic use and formulation.
2. How does the patent landscape impact the patent's strength?
Existing patents on similar chemical classes and therapeutic targets may pose validity challenges, emphasizing the importance of clear novelty, inventive step, and strategic claim drafting.
3. What is the significance of broad claim language in this patent?
Broad claims provide extensive protection but risk invalidation if too close to prior art; balanced drafting with dependent claims mitigates this risk.
4. How does this patent position China in the global pharmaceutical patent domain?
It demonstrates China's active and strategic approach to securing innovative drug IP, aligning with its national push for biotech and pharmaceutical advancement.
5. What future steps should patent holders consider?
Proactive patent family expansion, continuous prosecution, and international filings strengthen global protection and mitigate infringement risks.
References
- Patent database entries and official analysis reports on CN111228278.
- Comparative studies of chemical patent landscapes in China and globally.
- Literature on patent claim drafting strategies in pharmaceutical innovations.
- Patent search reports on related chemical scaffolds and therapeutic uses.
- Chinese patent office guidelines and prior art classifications relevant to medicinal chemistry patents.
End of Analysis
