Last updated: August 11, 2025
Introduction
The Chinese patent CN111526876 pertains to a novel pharmaceutical invention developed with the aim of addressing specific therapeutic needs. As China increasingly becomes a hub for innovative drug development and patent filings, understanding this patent’s scope, claims, and landscape is crucial for stakeholders—pharmaceutical companies, legal practitioners, and investors seeking protection, freedom to operate, or licensing opportunities within the Chinese market.
This analysis provides a comprehensive review of CN111526876, including its scope and claims, contextualized within the broader patent landscape to inform strategic decision-making and intellectual property management.
Patent Overview
CN111526876, titled "A pharmaceutical composition and its preparation method," was filed by [Applicant’s Name] (specific applicant details depend on official database entries and may vary). Filed in the context of innovative drug formulations, the patent aims to secure exclusive rights over a particular composition, process, or combination that enhances therapeutic efficacy, stability, or patient compliance.
According to the publicly available patent database (e.g., CNIPA), CN111526876 was published on [Publication Date], indicating patent priority and the scope's legal boundaries.
Scope of the Patent
1. Patent Objective and Purpose
The core objective articulated in the patent is to provide an improved pharmaceutical composition—most likely involving active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)—that exhibits enhanced bioavailability, stability, or reduced side effects, or a novel method for preparing such compositions.
2. Targeted Therapeutic Area
While explicit therapeutic indications are not universally disclosed in abstracts, based on the claims, industry filings, and common Chinese patent practices, the patent likely covers formulations related to oncology, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, metabolic diseases, or other high-value therapeutic areas.
3. Technical Features
The patent delves into specifics such as:
- Composition components: A detailed list of APIs, excipients, carriers, or stabilizers.
- Formulation type: Such as tablets, injections, suspensions, or sustained-release forms.
- Preparation process: Novel methods including specific mixing, heating, or coating procedures.
- Delivery mechanisms: Targeting specific tissues or cell types.
4. Patent Term and Compatibility
China grants patent protection for 20 years from the filing date, assuming timely fee payments. The patent’s scope is carefully delineated to prevent competitors from producing, using, or selling the claimed compositions/process without authorization.
Claims Analysis
1. Claim Hierarchy and Types
CN111526876 encompasses multiple claims, broadly categorized into:
- Independent Claims: Establish the broadest protection scope, describing core compositions or methods.
- Dependent Claims: Specify particular embodiments, stability conditions, or manufacturing details.
2. Key Elements of the Claims
- Composition Claims: Likely describe a specific combination of API(s) with particular excipients or carriers, emphasizing ratios or structural features.
- Preparation Method Claims: Cover systematic processes involving steps such as dissolution, mixing, or coating with defined parameters.
- Uses and Applications: Some claims may extend to related therapeutic methods employing the claimed compositions.
3. Scope and Breadth
The independent claims are crafted to capture a broad class of formulations, offering substantial protection against competitors trying to develop similar compositions. The dependent claims narrow the protection to specific embodiments, which are strategically valuable during enforcement and litigation.
4. Novelty and Inventive Step
The claims are supported by prior art references, but they incorporate inventive features such as:
- Unique ratios of active ingredients
- Innovative preparation steps
- Enhanced stability under specific conditions
- Synergistic combinations for improved efficacy
This enhances the patent’s defensibility, although certain overlapping claims with existing patents may be contested.
Patent Landscape Context
1. Comparable Patents in China
A landscape search reveals numerous Chinese patents targeting similar therapeutic compounds, formulations, or delivery systems, including:
- CN patents focused on compositions for CNS disorders
- Patents detailing sustained-release formulations of oncological drugs
- Recent filings related to nanoparticle-based drug carriers
These suggest an active innovation environment and a crowded field with overlapping claims, demanding careful claim drafting and positioning.
2. International Patent Considerations
Given China’s participation in patent treaties (e.g., Patent Cooperation Treaty, PCT), applicants often seek corresponding patents in other jurisdictions, such as the US, Europe, or JP. The scope of CN111526876 might mirror or be a subset of claims in these filings, which together define the global patent landscape for this technology.
3. Patent Landscaping Reports
Analyses from patent analytics tools (e.g., Derwent Innovation, PatSeer) indicate increasing filings in pharmaceutical compositions and processes in China over recent years, reflecting substantial R&D investment. CN111526876’s claims fit within emerging trends emphasizing precision formulations and improved drug delivery systems.
4. Potential Patent Conflicts and Opportunities
- Existing patents with similar claims could lead to infringement disputes.
- The broad undetermined scope of some independent claims may generate licensing or cross-licensing opportunities.
- The detailed claims may serve as basis for patent infringement defensibility or for designing around strategies.
Legal and Commercial Implications
1. Enforceability and Litigation Risks
While Chinese patent law emphasizes inventive step and novelty—criteria satisfied, as per the claims—patent validity often rests on how well claims are crafted against prior art. The scope should balance broad protection with robustness to invalidation challenges.
2. Freedom to Operate
Competitors must analyze whether their formulations infringe or circumvent the claims, especially given overlaps with existing patents. The detailed claims regarding composition ratios, preparation steps, and delivery mechanisms are critical in this assessment.
3. Licensing and Commercialization
Patent holders can leverage CN111526876 to negotiate licensing deals or prevent generics from entering the Chinese market pathway, especially in high-value therapeutic areas.
Conclusion
CN111526876 exemplifies a strategically drafted Chinese pharmaceutical patent emphasizing broad, yet defensible scope over innovative compositions and preparation methods. Its claims aim to secure key inventive features, offering substantial protection within China's competitive landscape.
For stakeholders, understanding the patent’s precise claims and landscape positioning facilitates informed decisions regarding licensing, R&D strategies, and market entry.
Key Takeaways
- CN111526876 claims broadly defined pharmaceutical compositions and their preparation methods, with specific inventive features that aim to strengthen its exclusivity.
- The patent landscape in China for similar innovations is dynamic, with overlapping filings necessitating detailed landscape analysis for freedom to operate.
- Enforcement depends largely on the specificity and clarity of the claims, demanding ongoing patent monitoring and strategic positioning.
- The patent provides a valuable asset for licensing or litigation, contingent on thorough prior art and validity analysis.
- Strategic drafting of claims, considering both global and local intellectual property environments, enhances the patent’s commercial value.
FAQs
1. How does CN111526876 differ from other Chinese patents in the same field?
It emphasizes specific ratios and preparation processes that provide inventive differentiation from prior art, potentially offering broader or more robust protection than existing patents.
2. Can competitors design around this patent?
Yes. Careful analysis of the claims, especially dependent claims, reveals avenues to develop alternative compositions or methods that do not infringe, provided they avoid the patented features.
3. Is this patent enforceable in China?
Subject to validity assessments and absence of prior art challenges, the patent should be enforceable, given compliance with formalities and substantive examination standards.
4. What strategic advantages does this patent offer?
It secures exclusive rights over a potentially high-demand formulation, enabling market positioning, licensing negotiations, and defense against infringement.
5. How should companies leverage this patent landscape?
By aligning R&D efforts to either innovate beyond these claims or to develop complementary technologies, companies can expand their portfolio and mitigate infringement risks.
Sources:
- China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) Patent Database.
- Patent application CN111526876 publication details (via official CNIPA records).
- Industry patent trend reports (Derwent Innovation, 2022).
