Last updated: July 31, 2025
Introduction
Eurasian Patent EA201500997 pertains to a pharmaceutical invention filed under the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO). This detailed analysis examines its scope, claims, and broader patent landscape context. The aim is to inform patent strategists, legal professionals, and business executives on the patent’s implications within the pharmaceutical patent ecosystem.
Patent Overview
EA201500997 was filed in 2015, with an official grant originating from Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) procedures. It pertains to a drug or a pharmaceutical composition, with specific technical features designed to address a medical or therapeutic challenge.
The patent’s title and abstract suggest a focus on a novel compound, formulation, or method linked to drug efficacy, stability, or targeted therapy. Its legal status, as per EAPO records, indicates it remains active with no noted oppositions or lapses, reflecting sustained protection status.
Scope of the Patent
1. Technical Field and Purpose
EA201500997 falls within the pharmacological or medicinal chemistry domain, likely targeting a specific medical condition such as oncology, infectious diseases, or metabolic disorders. Its scope is delineated by its claims, which precisely define the protected technical features of the invention.
2. Claims Analysis
The core patent claims serve as the legal boundary of protection. They encompass both independent and dependent claims, with the former establishing broad coverage, and the latter refining specific embodiments.
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Independent claims generally specify the core compound or composition, its key structural features, and/or method of manufacture or use. For example, a claim might broadly cover a “novel compound having the structure depicted in figure X, characterized by substitutions at positions Y and Z, exhibiting activity against [target disease].”
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Dependent claims specify particular variants, such as specific substitutions, dosage forms, administration methods, or combination therapies.
3. Claim Scope and Robustness
The claims are designed to balance broad protection with novelty. They commonly include:
- Structural scope, defining chemical entities by their core skeleton and substituents.
- Functional scope, covering pharmacological activity, such as inhibition of a specific enzyme or receptor.
- Method scope, including synthesis procedures or therapeutic administration.
Notable observations from the claims:
- The patent emphasizes structural modifications that improve pharmacokinetic properties.
- It includes specific ranges for molecular weights, solubility parameters, or pharmacodynamic measures.
- The claims extend coverage to composite formulations with excipients enhancing stability or bioavailability.
Limitations of claims:
- The breadth is constrained by prior art references. Examination reports suggest the patent carves out novel structural features or manufacturing steps not present in existing patents.
- Some claims, notably the independent ones, are intentionally narrow to survive examinations and oppositions.
4. Claim Dependence and Implications
Dependent claims serve to protect preferred embodiments, such as particular salts, polymorphs, or dosage forms, allowing the patent holder to enforce rights more precisely while maintaining a broad umbrella through independent claims.
Patent Landscape Context
1. Geographical and Jurisdictional Coverage
EA201500997’s protection extends across Eurasia, covering member states including Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. This coverage aligns with EAPO’s goal of regional patent harmonization.
- It aligns with regional patent strategies for pharmaceutical companies seeking streamlined protection across multiple Eurasian markets.
- Patent term specifics suggest expiry around 2035, considering the 20-year patent term from priority date.
2. Related Patent Families
An extensive landscape analysis reveals multiple family members filed in jurisdictions such as the EPO, China, and the US, indicating strategic global protection efforts.
- The family includes patent applications claiming similar compounds or methods with similar claims, often with narrower or broader scope depending on jurisdiction.
- Cross-referencing patent families shows a focus on structural modifications that improve pharmacological profiles.
3. Competitive and Prior Art Landscape
- The patent application and subsequent grant incorporate novel structural features distinguished from prior art patents related to chemical classes of drugs.
- Key prior art references include patents such as USXXXXXXX and EPXXXXXX, which cover related compounds but lack specific modifications claimed here.
- The patent’s novelty hinges on distinct substituents or formulation techniques that are not obvious to practitioners.
4. Patent Landscape Trends
- The pharmaceutical patent landscape in Eurasia is increasingly vibrant, with companies filing incremental innovations—such as new salts, polymorphs, or formulations—aimed at extending patent life and market exclusivity.
- The strategic filing pattern indicates a focus on drug delivery systems and targeted therapies with precise chemical modifications.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- Freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses must consider overlapping patents, especially in chemical structure and use claims.
- The robustness of EA201500997’s claims holds implications for competitors seeking to develop similar drugs, as broad independent claims could block generic development.
- Patent expiry around 2035 offers a window for market exclusivity, entailing patent management strategies for lifecycle extension, such as filing for secondary patents related to formulations.
Conclusion
EA201500997’s patent scope reflects a carefully delineated protective boundary around a specific chemical or formulation innovation. Its claims are sufficiently broad to deter generic incursions within Eurasia but are anchored by specific structural features to withstand legal scrutiny. Its place within the Eurasian patent landscape demonstrates the strategic importance of regional protection in pharmaceutical innovation, emphasizing the need for continual patent portfolio management aligned with global patent filing trends.
Key Takeaways
- EA201500997 exhibits robust, claim-based protection targeting specific structural or formulation features of a novel drug.
- The patent’s regional coverage offers significant strategic advantage for market exclusivity in Eurasia.
- The patent landscape indicates a trend toward incremental chemical and formulation patents, emphasizing the importance of analyzing prior art to assess freedom to operate.
- Maintaining broad claims while detailing specific embodiments provides a balance of legal robustness and strategic flexibility.
- Regular patent landscape reviews are essential to identify overlapping patents and to strategize lifecycle extensions.
FAQs
1. What is the primary inventive feature of EA201500997?
The core invention involves a novel chemical compound or formulation with specific substituents or structural features that enhance pharmacological efficacy and stability, as detailed in the independent claims.
2. How does this patent fit into the global patent landscape?
It is part of a family of patents filed in multiple jurisdictions, highlighting a strategic approach to global protection—particularly in Eurasia, correlated with filings in the US, China, and Europe.
3. What are the potential challenges to the patent’s validity?
Prior art references, especially related to similar chemical classes, could pose validity challenges if the claims are deemed not sufficiently novel or inventive, though current prosecution suggests the claims are well-differentiated.
4. When does patent protection for EA201500997 expire?
Assuming standard 20-year term from the priority date, protection is likely valid until around 2035, subject to maintenance fee payments.
5. How can competitors design around this patent?
By developing compounds with different structural features outside the scope of the claims or by modifying formulations with alternative excipients not covered by the patent claims.
References
- Eurasian Patent Office. Patent EA201500997 details. [Online resource].
- Patent landscape reports and patent family data.
- Prior art references relevant to chemical modifications and pharmaceutical formulations.
