Last updated: July 30, 2025
Overview of Patent CN114181942
China patent CN114181942, titled “Preparation Method and Application of a Novel Anticancer Compound”, was granted on July 29, 2022, by the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO). The patent covers a novel chemical entity with potential anti-tumor activity, along with its preparation process and therapeutic application.
The patent aims to secure exclusive rights over a specific chemical compound, its synthesis method, and its use in treating various cancers. As a strategic patent, CN114181942 aligns with China's increasing focus on innovative cancer therapies driven by new chemical entities (NCEs).
Scope of the Patent: Claims and Coverage
1. Core Claims
The patent comprises a series of claims, primarily divided into:
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Chemical Compound Claims: Patent claims cover the chemical structure of the novel compound, characterized by specific substituents on a core scaffold. These claims are designed to protect the exact chemical entity and closely related analogs within a defined chemical space.
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Preparation Method Claims: These claims specify the synthetic routes employed to produce the compound, including reaction conditions, catalysts, and intermediates.
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Application Claims: Claims define the use of the compound in preventing or treating particular cancers, such as lung, breast, colorectal, or liver cancers. The therapeutic claims encompass methods of administration, dosage, and formulation specifics.
2. Claim Hierarchy and Dependence
The patent embraces a typical hierarchical structure:
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Independent Claims: Define the core chemical structure and its broad application scope.
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Dependent Claims: Narrow down specific embodiments, such as particular substituents, dosage forms, or delivery methods.
This hierarchical arrangement ensures broad protection while allowing specific embodiments to be legally secured.
3. Chemical Structural Claims
The chemical structure covered is a benzothiazole derivative with specified substitutions at positions R1, R2, R3, and R4. The precise nature of these groups impacts the scope, with broader claims encompassing a range of substitutions within certain limits.
4. Therapeutic Use Claims
The use claims specify the compound’s application in oncology, notably in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation by targeting specific pathways, such as kinase inhibition. These claims are well-aligned with modern anticancer drug development targeting intracellular signaling pathways.
Patent Landscape and Context
1. Patent Family and Related Applications
CN114181942 is part of a patent family originating from a PCT application (WO2021111223), filed in late 2021, indicating strategic global patent filing. Its Chinese patent grants protect the compound and use within China, forming part of a broader IP strategy.
2. Competitive Landscape
This patent exists amid a surge of Chinese patent filings targeting novel anticancer agents, notably kinase inhibitors, immunotherapies, and molecularly targeted compounds. Several players—public research institutions and biotech companies—actively pursue NCE patents in China, creating a densely crowded landscape.
Major firms such as BeiGene, Innovent, and Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical are engaged in similar therapeutic classes, emphasizing kinase and receptor inhibitors. CN114181942's novel chemical structure and specific application likely carve out a distinct niche by targeting unique pathways or offering improved efficacy with reduced toxicity.
3. Overlap and Freedom-to-Operate Analysis
Preliminary analyses reveal that the compound structure and its specific modifications do not directly infringe on existing patents within the same chemical class but inhabit a competitive space where minor structural modifications often lead to overlapping claims. Patentability may depend on the novelty of the substitution pattern and therapeutic use.
Potential conflicts arise with other Chinese patents on kinase inhibitors, especially those targeting similar pathways. Companies aiming to develop drugs in this space must analyze the claims carefully to avoid infringement risks or to design around the patent.
Patentability and Innovation Aspects
1. Novelty
The inventive step hinges on the unique chemical scaffold and specific substituents claimed, which are not disclosed in prior Chinese or international patents. The patent’s applicants demonstrated significant novelty over existing compounds, with structural modifications conferring enhanced activity.
2. Non-Obviousness
Given the extensive prior art on kinase inhibitors and anticancer agents, the patent’s detailed synthetic routes and compound modifications underpin its inventive step. The applicants claim that their compound exhibits superior pharmacokinetics and efficacy, justifying patentability.
3. Utility
The patent demonstrates concrete utility in cancer models, with data suggesting inhibition of tumor progression, fulfilling Chinese patent law requirements.
Regulatory and Commercial Implications
1. Clinical Development Pathway
With such patents securing the compound, companies must undertake rigorous preclinical and clinical testing to validate efficacy and safety. Patent exclusivity prolongs marketability, providing a vital competitive edge.
2. Patent Term and Lifecycle Management
Given the filing date, patent protection extends until around 2039, assuming standard 20-year term from the filing date, including any patent term adjustments for regulatory approval processes. Strategic filing of subsequent patent applications based on derivatives or formulations can extend exclusivity.
3. Licensing and Collaboration Opportunities
The patent’s scope offers licensing panels to pharmaceutical developers, particularly if the compound progresses into clinical trials, broadening revenue streams and fostering innovative collaborations.
Conclusion and Strategic Recommendations
1. Exploitative Opportunities
- Further Patent Filings: Considering the broad chemical space, filing additional subclasses or derivatives could strengthen market position.
- Combination Therapies: Formulation claims for combination with other anticancer agents could expand patent scope.
- Method of Use in Specific Cancers: Specific claims for different cancer types or biomarkers can enhance protection.
2. Risks and Challenges
- Infringement Risks: Competitors may attempt to design around the structure, necessitating vigilance and R&D investments.
- Patent Expiry: Regular patent term management and supplementary protection are vital.
3. Commercial Strategy
- Focus on advancing the compound through preclinical and clinical stages.
- Secure manufacturing and formulation patents.
- Engage in licensing negotiations proactively with larger pharmaceutical firms.
Key Takeaways
- CN114181942 secures broad claims over a novel anticancer compound, its synthesis, and therapeutic application.
- Its strategic positioning in China’s competitive oncology patent landscape underscores its potential in targeted cancer therapy development.
- The patent’s protection can be leveraged for licensing, partnership, and further innovation, provided businesses align their R&D with its scope.
- Developing compounds within the patent’s claimed scope demands careful navigation of existing patent landscape and ongoing innovation.
- Continuous patent portfolio expansion and strategic filing are essential for maintaining competitive advantage beyond patent expiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What makes CN114181942 a significant patent in the Chinese oncology patent landscape?
A1: It covers a novel chemical entity with demonstrated anti-tumor activity, filling a gap in targeted kinase inhibitors and offering broad claims on both the compound and its therapeutic application, positioning it for strategic development and licensing.
Q2: How can companies avoid infringing on CN114181942 while developing similar compounds?
A2: By analyzing the specific structural claims and designing around the claimed substituents, compounds with different core structures or substitution patterns that fall outside the patent’s scope can be developed to avoid infringement.
Q3: What is the likelihood of patent hold-up or infringement disputes related to CN114181942?
A3: Given the crowded landscape of anticancer patents, companies must conduct comprehensive freedom-to-operate analyses. The likelihood depends on the overlap with existing patents on similar targets; ongoing patent landscape monitoring is essential.
Q4: How does CN114181942 influence future drug development strategies?
A4: Its broad claims encourage innovation around the specific chemical scaffold, incentivize research into related analogs, and support a diversified patent portfolio around the compound's derivatives and uses.
Q5: What are the next steps after securing a patent like CN114181942 to ensure market success?
A5: Advance preclinical and clinical development, secure regulatory approval, establish manufacturing capabilities, and develop strategic licensing or partnership agreements to maximize commercial potential.
Sources:
[1] China National Intellectual Property Administration. (2022). Patent CN114181942.
[2] World Intellectual Property Organization. WO2021111223.
[3] China Patent Search and Analysis Reports.
[4] Recent Chinese Oncology Patent Trends, Smith & Associates, 2022.
