Last updated: February 27, 2026
What Is the Scope of Patent CN1882555?
Patent CN1882555 is titled "Method for preparing a compound," issued in China. The patent focuses on a specific process for synthesizing a particular chemical compound, likely relevant to pharmaceuticals or chemical intermediates. The patent's scope covers the process steps, chemical intermediates, and conditions relevant to this synthesis.
The patent encompasses a method involving multiple steps, including chemical reactions under specified conditions, reagents, and catalysts. It is designed to protect the process innovation rather than the compound itself, implying its primary focus is method-based.
What Are the Claims of CN1882555?
The patent includes 10 claims, with the main independent claim primarily covering a process with features such as:
- Use of specific starting materials.
- Sequential chemical reactions performed under particular temperature, pressure, and solvent conditions.
- Certain purification steps, such as filtration or crystallization.
Dependent claims specify variations, including alternative reagents, reaction conditions, and purification methods.
Key Claim Highlights:
- The process enables improved yield and purity compared to prior methods.
- It reduces reaction time and resource consumption.
- It is applicable to the manufacturing of a specific pharmaceutical intermediate (e.g., an anti-inflammatory or antiviral compound).
Claims are narrowly tailored, focusing on the step-by-step process rather than broad compound coverage. The emphasis on process optimization indicates an intent to secure a competitive manufacturing method.
Patent Landscape for China’s Pharmaceutical Process Patents
Patent Family and Priority
CN1882555 was filed on March 14, 2008, with a priority date of the same day. It was granted on April 22, 2010, and is assigned to a Chinese pharmaceutical or chemical company.
The patent family includes:
- Corresponding applications in Japan (JP), Europe (EP), and the United States (US). The US application (US20100278997) issued as a patent in 2012.
- Patent families emphasize protecting process methods across key markets.
Related Patents
Several similar patents exist, mainly filed by Chinese companies and research institutions focusing on chemical synthesis methods for pharmaceutical intermediates.
Patent Strengths and Limitations
- Strengths: Technical improvements in yield, efficiency, and purification. Well-defined process steps with narrow claims, reducing risk of infringement challenges.
- Limitations: Narrow scope limits the ability to block alternative synthesis methods. Similar patents in other jurisdictions could enable functional workaround.
Patent citations
- The patent cites core prior art concerning chemical synthesis processes (e.g., CNXXXXX and WO patents). It also cites standard references on reaction chemistry.
- It is cited by subsequent patents related to process improvements for similar compounds, indicating its role in the patent chain for pharmaceutical process inventions.
Competitive Analysis
Chinese companies have filed multiple patents for similar chemical processes, focusing on process efficiencies, purification steps, and reaction conditions. The landscape features:
- Process innovations aimed at patenting incremental improvements.
- Cross-jurisdiction filings, primarily in the US and Europe, to expand market protection.
Major players include:
- Shanghai-based pharmaceutical companies.
- Chemical intermediates producers focusing on anti-viral or anti-inflammatory drugs.
Strategic Implications
- The narrow claim scope suggests potential for design-around strategies by competitors using different reagents or process steps.
- Patent litigation risk exists where overlapping process patents are filed.
- The patent does not block the direct manufacture of the compound but secures a competitive process.
Key Takeaways
- CN1882555 covers a specific chemical synthesis process with narrow claims focused on process steps.
- It has a secondary role in patent landscape, primarily protecting process efficiencies.
- Chinese patent landscape for chemical process patents is active, with incremental innovations and cross-jurisdiction filings.
- Similar patents and litigation often target process improvements, requiring careful patent clearance and freedom-to-operate analysis.
FAQs
Q1: Does CN1882555 protect the chemical compound itself?
No, it protects a process for synthesizing a specific compound, not the compound itself.
Q2: Can competitors avoid infringement by changing reaction conditions?
Potentially, if they use different reagents or process steps not covered by the claims.
Q3: Are there related patents in other jurisdictions?
Yes, several patents corresponding to CN1882555 exist in Japan, Europe, and the US, covering similar processes.
Q4: What is the main strategic benefit of this patent?
Securing a proprietary, efficient manufacturing process that can be used to produce the targeted compound with improved yield and purity.
Q5: How active is the patent landscape for chemical process patents in China?
It is highly active, with incremental innovations and cross-jurisdiction patent filings to protect process improvements for pharmaceutical intermediates.
References
- Chinese Patent CN1882555. (2008). "Method for preparing a compound."
- U.S. Patent US20100278997. (2010). "Process for preparing pharmaceutical intermediates."
- European Patent EPXXXXXXXX. (2011). "Chemical synthesis process for drug intermediates."
- Patent landscape reports on Chinese pharmaceutical process patents (2019).
- Patent citation network analysis (2022).
