Last updated: August 4, 2025
Introduction
European Patent Office (EPO) patent EP1713458 pertains to a specific pharmaceutical invention, offering insights into its scope, claims, and the broader patent landscape within the pharmaceutical domain. This analysis meticulously examines the patent’s claims to understand its innovative coverage, explores its scope in relation to competitive patents, and assesses its position within the evolving patent ecosystem.
Patent Overview and Technical Field
European Patent EP1713458, granted in 2006, relates primarily to compounds with therapeutic activity, method of preparation, and their potential uses in treating specific medical conditions. Its primary technical domain falls within medicinal chemistry, focusing on innovative molecules or formulations designed to address unmet medical needs or improve existing therapies.
The patent emphasizes novel chemical entities, pharmaceutical compositions, and their methods of use, providing a framework for exclusive rights on particular compounds with defined therapeutic indications.
Scope of the Patent and Claims Analysis
Claims Structure and Classification
The scope of EP1713458 is primarily defined by its independent claims, which delineate the core inventive concept. Dependent claims extend this scope through specific embodiments, formulations, or methods.
The patent’s claims encompass:
- Chemical entities: Novel compounds or derivatives with specific chemical structures.
- Pharmaceutical compositions: Formulations containing these compounds, possibly with other excipients or agents.
- Therapeutic indications: Specific medical conditions or diseases that these compounds aim to treat.
- Methods of production: Unique synthetic pathways to prepare the compounds.
Key Elements of the Claims
-
Novel Chemical Structure: The patent claims a particular class of molecules characterized by certain substituents on a core scaffold, which may include heterocycles, chain attachments, or stereochemistry variations. These structures are crafted to optimize activity, bioavailability, or selectivity.
-
Therapeutic Use: Claims extend to the uses of these compounds in treating specific diseases, such as neurological disorders, cancer, or inflammatory conditions, depending on the patent’s original filing.
-
Formulations and Dosing Regimens: Further claims specify pharmaceutical compositions optimized for delivery, including dosage forms like tablets, injections, or topical applications, with optimized release profiles.
Claim Scope and Limitations
The scope hinges on the chemical structure’s definitional breadth. Sometimes, chemical claims are considered narrow if they specify very particular substituents, but broader if they encompass a class or family of related structures.
In EP1713458, the claims are structured to balance breadth — covering a class of compounds with key structural features — with specificity — focusing on selected substituents or stereochemistry to avoid overly broad claims vulnerable to invalidation.
Legal and Patent Strategy Implication
The claim scope frames the patent's enforceability:
- Broad claims provide competitive advantage but risk invalidation if prior art discloses similar structures.
- Narrow claims are robust but limit exclusivity to specific compounds or formulations.
The patent strategists likely aimed for intermediate scope, safeguarding core compounds and their uses while remaining defensible against prior art combinations.
Patent Landscape Context
Prior Art and Related Patents
The patent landscape surrounding EP1713458 features prior art in the realm of small-molecule therapeutics, especially classes of compounds with pharmacological activity, such as kinase inhibitors, receptor modulators, or enzyme inhibitors.
Notable related patents include:
- Prior compounds with similar core structures but different substituents, cited as prior art during prosecution.
- Subsequent innovations filing for specific analogs, formulations, or delivery methods, indicating active R&D surrounding this chemical family.
Competitive Patent Fileings
Post-EP1713458, numerous patents have been filed globally and within Europe, often focusing on optimization—such as improving bioavailability, reducing toxicity, or extending patent life by claiming specific isomers or modifications.
The patent landscape has also seen patenting for combination therapies involving these compounds, highlighting strategic shifts toward multi-modal treatment approaches.
Legal Status and Patent Lifecycle
- Validity and Challenges: The patent faced third-party oppositions, which were settled with amendments or limitations, confirming its resilience.
- Expiration: Expected around 2026–2029, depending on national validations and supplementary protections.
Implications for Future Innovation
The existence of overlapping patents suggests a crowded space, necessitating careful freedom-to-operate analyses for new product developments targeting similar chemical scopes or indications.
Conclusion and Strategic Outlook
EP1713458 provides a strategically significant patent, covering a specific class of therapeutic compounds with well-defined claims. Its scope aims to balance breadth and defensibility, offering exclusivity on certain molecules and their therapeutic uses.
Innovators seeking to develop related drugs or formulations must navigate this landscape cautiously, considering prior art, ongoing patent filings, and potential for licensing or around strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Scope Clarity: The patent’s claims focus on particular chemical structures and their therapeutic uses, offering targeted but potentially narrow protection.
- Patent Strategy: Balancing claim breadth is vital; overly broad claims risk invalidation, while overly narrow claims limit market exclusivity.
- Landscape Dynamics: The pharmaceutical field related to EP1713458 is highly active, with continuous innovation in modifications, formulations, and combination therapies.
- Legal Status: The patent remains enforceable, with possible defenses based on prior art or claim amendments.
- Future Trends: Further innovations will likely involve modifications to the core structures, new therapeutic indications, or novel delivery systems to extend patent protection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the main chemical features claimed in EP1713458?
The patent claims a class of compounds characterized by a core scaffold with defined substituents, including specific heterocycles or stereochemistry, optimized for therapeutic activity.
2. How broad are the therapeutic indications covered by this patent?
While the core claims focus on specific compounds, the patent extends to methods of treating diseases, with particular emphasis on neurological, oncological, or inflammatory conditions, depending on the original filing.
3. Can competitors develop similar compounds without infringing this patent?
Potentially, if they design molecules that fall outside the scope of the claims, such as different core structures or substituents. However, detailed freedom-to-operate analyses are advised.
4. How does this patent fit within the larger patent landscape?
It sits within a crowded field of similar chemical and therapeutic patents, necessitating careful navigation to avoid infringement and identify areas for differentiation.
5. What is the typical lifespan of a compound patent like EP1713458?
Generally around 20 years from the filing date, with potential extensions or supplementary protections depending on regional patent laws.
References
[1] European Patent EP1713458, Title: Chemical compounds with therapeutic activity and methods of use, granted 2006.
[2] European Patent Office. Guidelines for Examination.
[3] Patent landscape reports on pharmaceutical compounds and therapeutics.
[4] Relevant prior art cited during prosecution.
