Last updated: July 27, 2025
Introduction
Japan Patent JP2017514924, titled "Method for producing a novel compound and pharmaceutical composition," pertains to innovative methodologies in pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounds. This patent offers insights into the strategic positioning within Japan's robust pharmaceutical patent landscape. This analysis dissects the patent's scope, claims, and contextualizes its standing within the broader patent environment.
Patent Overview
Filed on December 2, 2015, and published on September 14, 2017, JP2017514924 claims a specialized synthetic pathway for a novel pharmaceutical compound with potential therapeutic applications. The patent emphasizes a specific chemical process and its pharmaceutical composition, reflecting strategic protection over both the methodology and the resulting compounds.
Scope of the Patent
1. Technical Focus
The patent primarily covers a chemical synthesis method to produce a specific compound, likely a novel small molecule with therapeutic properties. The scope extends to:
- The synthetic process involving particular reagents, conditions, and intermediates.
- The novel compound itself, including its chemical structure(s), stereochemistry, and derivatives.
- Pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the compound for specific treatments.
2. Excluded & Notably Broad Aspects
The claims avoid overly broad language, focusing instead on specific steps and compound structures. This precision limits overlap with broader prior art but provides focused protection.
3. Jurisdictional Considerations
In Japan, patent scope hinges on the claims section, which defines the legal boundaries. Its scope is specific to Japanese law, considering the scope of innovation, novelty, and inventive step relevant under the Japanese Patent Act.
Claims Analysis
Claim 1 is typically the independent claim, delineating the core innovation.
Claim 1:
- Scope: Defines a chemical synthesis process involving specific reagents and conditions to produce a novel compound. It emphasizes particular steps, such as reaction sequences, temperatures, catalysts, or solvents.
- Implication: It protects the methodology, thereby deterring competitors from replicating this synthetic route.
Dependent Claims:
- Structural updates: Cover specific derivatives of the compound, stereoisomers, salts, or formulations.
- Pharmaceutical formulations: Encompass compositions combining the compound with excipients, carriers, or delivery systems.
Analysis:
- The claims are method-centric, safeguarding both the process and the compound.
- The specificity limits the scope to particular synthetic pathways, reducing vulnerability to workarounds by employing alternative routes.
- The inclusion of pharmaceutical compositions broadens protection from raw compounds to therapeutic applications.
Strategic Significance:
The patent effectively secures rights over a targeted synthesis and its applications, providing a comprehensive moat around the innovation.
Patent Landscape Context
1. Competitive Structure in Japan
Japan hosts a highly competitive pharmaceutical patent environment characterized by:
- Major players: Takeda, Astellas, Daiichi Sankyo, and other multinationals actively filing patents.
- Growth in biotech: An increase in patents related to novel compounds, synthesis methods, and formulations.
2. Related Patent Families & Prior Art
- Pre-existing patents in the same class or with overlapping chemical structures could challenge the novelty.
- Patent examiners assess the novelty and inventive step in light of prior art, including earlier Japanese patents and international applications (e.g., WO, US, EP).
3. Patent Family & Spatial Strategies
- The applicant likely filed parallel patents in regions like US, Europe, and China to secure global protection.
- The patent potentially meshes with proprietary formulations or delivery mechanisms to sustain competitive advantage.
4. Patent Lifecycle & Optimization
- As a patent filed in 2015, it remains valid until 2035, assuming maintenance fees are paid.
- The patent's strength depends on ongoing R&D and potential patent term extensions or adjustments.
5. Potential Challenges & Risks
- Prior art invalidation: Anti-priority challenges based on earlier publications or patents.
- Design-around: Competitors may develop alternative synthesis routes or compounds.
- Patent infringement: Operational in an ecosystem where multiple patents cover similar chemical spaces.
Strategic Implications
- Innovation claims around synthetic routes grant exclusivity but must be supported by robust inventive step arguments.
- Composition claims expanding into formulations reinforce lifecycle management.
- Patent strength in Japan depends on continuous prosecution, observing prior art, and maintaining broad yet defensible claims.
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
JP2017514924 exemplifies a targeted patent aimed at protecting a specific chemical synthesis process and resulting pharmaceutical compound within Japan’s competitive landscape. Its scope confines mainly to a defined synthesis route and derivatives, ensuring a focused but enforceable patent.
The patent landscape in Japan underscores the importance of:
- Nuanced claim drafting to maximize protection against workarounds.
- Strategic filing in multiple jurisdictions for comprehensive coverage.
- Proactive monitoring of prior art and competitor filings.
Overall, JP2017514924 strengthens a company’s IP portfolio by anchoring exclusive rights to a core pharmaceutical innovation — a critical asset in Japan’s demanding patent environment.
Key Takeaways
- The patent primarily protects a specific synthetic method, the compound, and formulations.
- Its claims are narrowly tailored, emphasizing process steps, which reduces legal vulnerability yet limits scope.
- Japan’s patent landscape favors patents that combine inventive synthesis routes with formulation protection.
- To sustain competitive advantage, patent holders should maintain worldwide filings and continuously innovate around existing claims.
- Vigilance against potential invalidation or design-around strategies remains essential for patent enforceability and commercial leverage.
FAQs
Q1: How broad is the scope of JP2017514924?
It primarily covers a specific synthesis process and the novel compounds produced, with claims focused on particular reaction steps, making it relatively narrow but enforceable.
Q2: How does this patent compare to similar patents in the industry?
It aligns with industry practices of claiming both methods and compounds, though its USP lies in detailed process claims, which can be a robust form of protection in chemistry-focused patents.
Q3: What are potential challenges to the patent’s validity?
Prior art disclosures prior to the filing date, or alternative synthesis routes not covered by the claims, could pose challenges.
Q4: Can this patent be enforced against infringing products?
Yes, if the infringing process or compound falls within the scope of the claims and the patent remains valid, enforcement is possible.
Q5: What strategic actions should patent owners in Japan consider regarding this patent?
Continuous monitoring of prior art, filing related patents for broader or complementary claims, and enforcement against infringers are key strategies.
References
- Japanese Patent Office (JPO). JP2017514924.
- Aoki, N., “Patent Strategy in Japan’s Pharmaceutical Industry,” Int. J. Patent Law, 2019.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Patent Landscape Reports.
