Last updated: February 19, 2026
Patent DK2381773, filed by Alector LLC, claims a pharmaceutical composition for treating neurodegenerative diseases, specifically focusing on modulating immune responses in the brain. The patent's scope encompasses specific formulations of small molecules designed to interact with immune cells.
What is the Core Invention Claimed in DK2381773?
The central claim of DK2381773 is a pharmaceutical composition. This composition includes a specific active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The API is identified as a compound that modulates the activity of immune cells, particularly microglia, within the central nervous system. The claimed compounds are characterized by their molecular structure, targeting specific inflammatory pathways implicated in neurodegeneration.
The patent asserts claims related to:
- Specific Compound Structures: The patent details the chemical structures of the claimed active compounds, providing definitive identification. This includes Markush structures that define a genus of related chemical entities with specific variable substituents, allowing for a broad but defined scope of protection.
- Pharmaceutical Compositions: Claims cover the formulated product containing the API. This includes specific excipients, dosages, and routes of administration that enhance stability, bioavailability, or targeted delivery to the central nervous system.
- Methods of Treatment: The patent claims the use of these compositions for treating specific neurodegenerative diseases. These diseases are identified based on their underlying pathological mechanisms, particularly those involving neuroinflammation.
What is the Granted Scope of Protection?
The granted scope of DK2381773 is defined by its independent claims, which establish the boundaries of the patent holder's exclusive rights. The independent claims typically cover the most fundamental aspects of the invention.
Key elements defining the granted scope include:
- Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Definition: Claims specify the chemical structure or a class of chemical structures that constitute the API. This is often the most critical element for defining the scope of protection against direct infringement. For DK2381773, this involves compounds designed to modulate microglial activation.
- Formulation Specifics: Claims may extend to the specific pharmaceutical formulations in which the API is delivered. This can include the type of carrier, stabilizers, or delivery systems used, providing protection against variations in the final drug product.
- Therapeutic Indications: The patent protects the use of the claimed composition for treating specific diseases. This means that even if a competitor develops a similar compound or formulation, they may infringe if they use it for the patented therapeutic indications. The patent identifies neurodegenerative diseases as the primary target.
- Dosage Regimens: In some cases, claims can cover specific dosage ranges or administration schedules that are crucial for the efficacy or safety of the treatment.
The precise wording of the claims dictates the breadth of this protection. For instance, a claim covering a specific compound offers narrower protection than a claim covering a genus of compounds defined by a Markush structure.
How Do the Claims of DK2381773 Differentiate from Prior Art?
The patentability of DK2381773 hinges on its ability to demonstrate novelty and inventive step over existing knowledge (prior art). The claims are drafted to precisely carve out this inventive contribution.
Differentiation points typically include:
- Novel Chemical Entity: If the API is a newly synthesized molecule not previously disclosed, it establishes novelty. The claims would precisely define this new structure.
- Unique Mechanism of Action: Even if the compound class is known, a novel mechanism of action (e.g., targeting a previously unexploited pathway) or a specific modulation of an existing pathway that leads to a therapeutic benefit can support patentability. DK2381773 focuses on a specific modulation of neuroinflammatory pathways.
- Improved Therapeutic Profile: Claims may be supported by data demonstrating enhanced efficacy, reduced side effects, improved pharmacokinetics, or better delivery compared to existing treatments for the same or related conditions. The patent likely asserts these benefits for the claimed compositions in treating neurodegenerative diseases.
- Specific Formulation Benefits: A novel formulation that provides superior stability, bioavailability, or targeted delivery to the brain can also form the basis of patentable claims, differentiating it from prior art formulations of similar APIs.
A thorough prior art search would identify publications, existing patents, and other disclosures that describe similar compounds, formulations, or therapeutic approaches. The claims of DK2381773 are structured to exclude what is already known and to protect the specific advancements made by Alector LLC.
What is the Patent Landscape for Neurodegenerative Disease Therapeutics in Denmark?
The patent landscape for neurodegenerative disease therapeutics in Denmark is complex and dynamic, reflecting global R&D trends and significant investment in this therapeutic area. Denmark, as part of the European Patent Convention (EPC) system, aligns with broader European patenting practices.
Key characteristics of this landscape include:
- High Volume of Filings: There is a substantial number of patent applications and granted patents related to neurodegenerative diseases, covering a wide spectrum from small molecules to biologics and gene therapies.
- Dominant Players: Major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms with established R&D programs in neurology are active filers. This includes companies focused on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington's disease.
- Focus on Disease Mechanisms: Patents often target specific pathological pathways, such as amyloid-beta, tau protein aggregation, alpha-synuclein, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. DK2381773’s focus on neuroinflammation positions it within this trend.
- Emergence of New Modalities: While small molecules remain significant, there is increasing patent activity in biologics (monoclonal antibodies, antibody fragments), gene therapy (AAV vectors), cell therapy, and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) aimed at modulating disease at the genetic or cellular level.
- Method of Treatment Claims: Many patents include claims for methods of treating specific neurodegenerative diseases using patented compounds or formulations. This is a common strategy to broaden protection beyond the composition itself.
- Patent Term Extensions: For approved pharmaceutical products, patent term extensions (Supplementary Protection Certificates in Europe) are critical for recouping R&D investment, extending market exclusivity beyond the initial 20-year patent term.
- Generic Competition Dynamics: As patents for older neurodegenerative drugs expire, the landscape sees increasing activity from generic manufacturers, leading to potential litigation over patent validity and infringement.
- Interplay with Regulatory Exclusivity: Patent protection is often complemented by regulatory data exclusivity periods granted by agencies like the European Medicines Agency (EMA), providing further market protection.
The patent landscape in Denmark is largely influenced by the European Patent Office (EPO) and national patent offices of EU member states. Companies seeking patent protection in Denmark will also typically file corresponding applications at the EPO to secure broad European coverage.
Who are the Key Assignees Holding Patents in this Space?
The key assignees holding patents in the neurodegenerative disease therapeutic space in Denmark, mirroring global trends, are typically large pharmaceutical corporations and specialized biotechnology companies.
Prominent assignees include:
- Major Pharmaceutical Companies:
- Pfizer Inc.
- Novartis AG
- Roche Holding AG
- Merck & Co., Inc.
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Bayer AG
- Johnson & Johnson
- AbbVie Inc.
- Biotechnology Companies:
- Biogen Inc.
- Amgen Inc.
- Gilead Sciences, Inc.
- Alector LLC (the assignee of DK2381773)
- Denali Therapeutics Inc.
- AC Immune SA
- Prothena Corporation plc
- Academic and Research Institutions: While less frequent for commercial product patents, leading universities and research centers may hold foundational patents that are subsequently licensed to commercial entities.
Alector LLC, the assignee of DK2381773, is a biotechnology company focused on harnessing the immune system to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Their patent portfolio reflects this strategic focus, often targeting microglial modulation and related neuroinflammatory pathways.
What are the Potential Infringement Risks Associated with DK2381773?
Potential infringement risks associated with DK2381773 arise if a third party makes, uses, sells, offers to sell, or imports a product or performs a method that falls within the scope of one or more of the patent's granted claims.
Specific risks include:
- Direct Infringement: Manufacturing or selling a pharmaceutical composition containing an API that is structurally or functionally equivalent to the claimed API, and formulated or used for the claimed therapeutic indications. This is the most straightforward form of infringement.
- Indirect Infringement:
- Induced Infringement: Encouraging or assisting others to directly infringe the patent. For example, marketing a product with instructions for use that constitute infringement.
- Contributory Infringement: Selling a component of a patented invention that has no substantial non-infringing use and is specifically designed to be used in an infringing manner.
- Method of Use Infringement: Using a patented composition for a patented method of treatment. This is particularly relevant if the API is approved for other indications or is a known compound that a third party decides to use for a neurodegenerative disease specified in the patent.
- Importation: Importing a product into Denmark that infringes the patent, even if manufactured elsewhere.
Determining infringement requires a detailed comparison of the accused product or method against each element of the patent's claims, often involving complex legal and technical analysis. For DK2381773, this would involve analyzing the chemical structure of any alleged infringing API, its formulation, and its intended therapeutic use.
How Might DK2381773 Impact Future R&D and Investment Decisions?
Patent DK2381773, by securing exclusive rights, influences future R&D and investment decisions in several ways.
Impact on R&D:
- Freedom to Operate (FTO) Analysis: Companies developing neurodegenerative disease therapeutics must conduct FTO analyses to ensure their R&D activities do not infringe on existing patents like DK2381773. This may necessitate designing around the patent's claims by developing alternative compounds, formulations, or therapeutic targets.
- Strategic Target Identification: The existence of such patents can guide researchers towards less crowded therapeutic areas or novel mechanisms of action that fall outside the claimed scope. It may also encourage research into diseases not covered by the patent.
- Collaboration and Licensing Opportunities: Alector LLC's patent position might create opportunities for licensing agreements, allowing other entities to develop or commercialize their technology in exchange for royalties. Conversely, it might deter companies from entering directly competitive R&D pathways without such agreements.
Impact on Investment:
- Reduced Competitive Risk: For Alector LLC or its partners, the patent provides a period of market exclusivity, reducing the risk of direct competition from entities using the patented technology. This can enhance the perceived value of the company and its assets.
- Valuation of Assets: The strength and scope of patents like DK2381773 are critical components in valuing biotechnology and pharmaceutical assets. Investors assess the potential market share and revenue protected by these intellectual property rights.
- Due Diligence: During mergers, acquisitions, or funding rounds, investors and acquirers conduct rigorous due diligence on the target company's patent portfolio. The validity, enforceability, and breadth of patents such as DK2381773 are scrutinized to understand the long-term market potential and legal risks.
- Investment in Generics/Biosimilars: For companies focused on developing generics or biosimilars, the patent landscape is a primary consideration. The expiry date and scope of patents dictate when and how they can enter the market. For DK2381773, the patent term and claim scope will determine the timeline for potential generic competition.
The patent landscape is a critical determinant of competitive strategy and investment flow in the high-stakes field of neurodegenerative disease therapeutics.
Key Takeaways
- Patent DK2381773 by Alector LLC claims a pharmaceutical composition for treating neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on modulating immune responses in the brain via specific small molecule compounds.
- The patent's scope encompasses specific compound structures, pharmaceutical formulations, and methods of treatment for neuroinflammatory conditions.
- Differentiation from prior art is based on novel chemical entities, unique mechanisms of action targeting neuroinflammation, or improved therapeutic profiles.
- The Danish patent landscape for neurodegenerative diseases is active, with numerous filings from major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies targeting various disease mechanisms and modalities.
- Key assignees in this space include global pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer, Novartis, and Roche, alongside biotechnology firms such as Biogen, Amgen, and Alector LLC.
- Potential infringement risks stem from direct or indirect unauthorized use of the claimed API, formulations, or methods of treatment within Denmark.
- DK2381773 impacts R&D by influencing Freedom to Operate analyses and strategic target selection, and influences investment by reducing competitive risk, shaping asset valuation, and dictating generic entry timelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What specific neurodegenerative diseases are covered by the claims in DK2381773?
The patent claims are directed towards the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by neuroinflammation. Specific diseases are defined by their pathological processes rather than a discrete list, though examples within the patent's description may provide further context.
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Does DK2381773 protect the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) itself, or the formulated drug product, or both?
The patent claims typically cover both the specific active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) defined by its chemical structure or properties, and the pharmaceutical composition which includes the API along with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers.
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What is the expiration date for patent DK2381773?
The expiration date is determined by the patent's filing date and its term, which is generally 20 years from the filing date. Any applicable patent term extensions, such as Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) in Europe, would further extend market exclusivity for an approved drug.
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Can a competitor develop a similar compound that does not infringe on DK2381773?
Competitors can develop similar compounds if those compounds fall outside the scope of the patent's claims, for example, by having a different chemical structure or a different mechanism of action that is not covered. This requires careful analysis of the patent's claims and potentially developing "design-around" compounds.
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What is the significance of Alector LLC being the assignee of DK2381773 in the context of neurodegenerative disease research?
Alector LLC's focus on immune system modulation for neurodegenerative diseases, as evidenced by this patent, indicates their strategic approach to targeting neuroinflammation as a key therapeutic avenue. This aligns with a broader trend in the field to explore immunomodulatory strategies beyond traditional targets like amyloid and tau.
Citations
[1] Alector LLC. (2013). Patent Application DK2381773. European Patent Office.
