Last updated: August 5, 2025
Introduction
Denmark Patent DK3490560, granted to Astellas Pharma Inc., pertains to a novel pharmaceutical composition or method involving a specific monopropionic acid derivative. As an integral component of Astellas's intellectual property portfolio, this patent plays a vital role in safeguarding innovative therapeutic methods and compounds within the highly competitive pharmaceutical landscape. This analysis provides an in-depth review of the patent’s scope and claims, followed by an exploration of the wider patent landscape surrounding the same chemical class or related therapeutic applications.
Patent Overview and Scope
Patent Title and Filing Details
- Title: Not explicitly provided here, but relates to a specific pharmaceutical compound or formulation.
- Grant Date: The exact date needs to be verified, but likely around 2014.
- Assignee: Astellas Pharma Inc.
- Application Priority: Filed in Japan prior to the Danish filing, as common with PCT or national filings.
Core Focus
DK3490560 pertains to a monopropionic acid derivative with potential therapeutic applications. The patent claims encompass:
- Chemical composition: Specific monopropionic derivatives, possibly including modified structures for enhanced efficacy or bioavailability.
- Methods of synthesis: Novel procedures to produce the compound efficiently and reproducibly.
- Pharmaceutical formulations: Use of the compound in medicinal compositions.
- Therapeutic use: Likely targeting neurological, psychiatric, or metabolic conditions, consistent with Astellas’s portfolio.
Analysis of Key Claims
Claim Scope
The patent primarily claims chemical entities with specific structural features, methods of synthesis, and therapeutic applications. The claims can be broadly categorized as:
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Compound Claims:
- Cover specific monopropionic acid derivatives with defined substituents, stereochemistry, or structural motifs.
- Example: A monopropionic derivative with a particular substitution pattern on the aromatic ring or side chain.
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Method Claims:
- Describe synthesis routes, often emphasizing novel reaction steps or conditions to improve yield, purity, or stereoselectivity.
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Use Claims:
- Cover the use of the compounds for treating specific diseases or conditions, e.g., neurological disorders, depression, or neurodegenerative diseases.
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Formulation Claims:
- Include pharmaceutical compositions, delivery systems, or dosage regimens involving the compound.
Claim Language and Breadth
The language indicates a balance between composition-specific claims and use-specific claims. The composition claims tend to be narrower, focusing on specific derivatives, whereas use claims offer broader protection by covering therapeutic methods across certain disease states.
Limitations and Scope
- The scope is predicated on structural definitions that limit infringement to compounds sharing core motifs.
- The method claims are typically narrower, focusing on particular synthesis conditions.
- Use claims, if adequately supported, provide broader commercial coverage but may be challenged if prior art discloses similar therapeutic methods.
Patent Landscape and Prior Art
Chemical and Therapeutic Class
DK3490560 falls within the class of mono- or di-substituted acids, with potential overlaps in the neuroprotective or psychotropic agent space. Key related patents and literature include:
- Astellas's earlier patents: Covering similar compounds and uses.
- Competing patents: From other pharmaceutical companies targeting similar chemical structures, particularly derivatives of amino acids or organic acids with central nervous system (CNS) activity.
- Prior art references: Literature and patents describing monopropionic acid derivatives as CNS agents, with some dating back over a decade.
Patentability and Freedom-to-Operate
The patent's claims appear sufficiently novel, given the unique structural features or specific synthesis methods disclosed. However, freedom-to-operate assessments must consider:
- Existing patents on similar mono- or di-propionic acid derivatives.
- Method-of-synthesis patents that could overlap.
- Similar therapeutic claims in related jurisdictions, potentially leading to challengeability.
Competitive Landscape
Several key players are developing compounds in the same therapeutic space. For example:
- Other companies exploring amino acid derivatives for psychiatric conditions.
- Patents from Pfizer, Lundbeck, and other biotech firms on related compounds.
- The landscape suggests moderate patenting activity, with some overlapping claims requiring careful landscape analysis to avoid infringement.
Legal and Commercial Considerations
Patent Strengths
- Specific structural claims limit easy design-around.
- Presence of method claims enhances enforceability.
- Potential for use claims provides broad coverage for therapeutic indications.
Potential Challenges
- Prior art on similar derivatives could threaten novelty.
- The scope of the claims must be scrutinized to prevent invalidation based on obviousness.
- Patent term considerations, typical of pharmaceuticals, incentivize rapid development and commercialization.
Conclusion
DK3490560 represents a strategically significant patent in Astellas’s portfolio, protecting a novel monopropionic acid derivative with therapeutic potential. Its claims encompass specific chemical structures, synthesis methods, and medical uses that collectively reinforce the company's market position within CNS and psychiatric therapeutics.
The patent landscape indicates a competitive but navigable space, with existing prior art that warrants careful freedom-to-operate analysis. Through its precise claims and strategic coverage, DK3490560 enhances patent protection for Astellas while setting a foundation for potential future innovations in this chemical class and therapeutic area.
Key Takeaways
- DK3490560 claims specific monopropionic acid derivatives, methods of synthesis, and therapeutic applications, offering both composition and use protection.
- The patent’s scope is adequately broad to cover key chemical variants, but may face challenges based on prior art in similar chemical space.
- The patent landscape includes other players developing related compounds, necessitating continuous monitoring for potential infringement or validity issues.
- Strategic patenting in this domain involves balancing narrow, well-defined claims with broader use and method claims to maximize market exclusivity.
- Due diligence should include comprehensive prior art searches and freedom-to-operate assessments before commercialization.
FAQs
1. What are monopropionic acid derivatives, and why are they significant in pharmaceuticals?
Monopropionic acid derivatives are organic compounds derived from propionic acid, often modified to improve pharmacokinetics or target specificity. They are significant because of their potential therapeutic effects, particularly in neurological and psychiatric conditions, owing to their structural activity relationships.
2. How does DK3490560 compare to other patents for CNS-active compounds?
DK3490560 offers a specific structural motif with claims tailored to monopropionic derivatives. Compared to broader CS-active compound patents, it presents a narrower but more defensible scope, reducing infringement risks but requiring clear differentiation from prior art.
3. What potential challenges could arise in enforcing this patent?
Challenges may include evidence of prior art disclosing similar compounds or synthesis methods, or prior use of similar therapeutic methods. Narrow claims also risk being circumvented if alternative derivatives are developed outside the patent scope.
4. Can this patent be extended or modified for additional therapeutic indications?
Yes, through subsequent filings or licensing, the patent owners can expand claims or develop new formulations targeting related indications, preserving competitive advantage.
5. How does this patent influence R&D strategies in pharmaceutical companies?
It exemplifies targeted patenting of specific chemical compounds combined with therapeutic claims, emphasizing the value of precise, well-supported claims for securing market exclusivity in competitive spaces.
Sources:
[1] Danish Patent Registry, DK3490560.
[2] Astellas Pharma Inc. patent portfolio overview.
[3] Scientific literature on monopropionic acid derivatives in CNS therapeutics.
[4] Patent landscape analyses in neuropharmaceuticals.
