Last updated: November 16, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR101223335 pertains to a pharmaceutical invention filed under South Korea’s patent system. This patent offers insights into the strategic development and patent protection for therapeutic compounds and formulations. A comprehensive assessment encompasses understanding the scope of the claims, evaluating the patent's legal boundaries, and analyzing its position within the existing patent landscape. This analysis aims to inform stakeholders—pharmaceutical companies, legal professionals, and R&D teams—on the patent's strength, coverage, and relevance.
Patent Overview and Basic Details
Patent KR101223335 was granted on January 21, 2012, with priority claimed from an earlier application (possibly in Korea or internationally). The applicant is likely a pharmaceutical entity focused on drug development, although specific assignee details must be verified through the patent document.
The patent title indicates a focus on a novel chemical entity or a pharmaceutical composition, likely involving specific compounds for therapeutic use. While detailed claims are required for comprehensive analysis, patent documents generally cover compound structures, composition claims, and methods of use.
Scope of the Patent Claims
1. Claims Structure
The patent typically includes independent claims defining the core invention and dependent claims elaborating specific embodiments or narrower features.
2. Core Claim Scope
The primary claims likely cover a class of chemical compounds with specific structural features, possibly including:
- A core chemical scaffold with functional group modifications,
- Specific substituents at defined positions,
- Variations that confer particular physicochemical or biological properties.
The scope might extend to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, along with methods of treating certain diseases (e.g., cancer, inflammation, or metabolic disorders).
3. Claim Breadth & Boundaries
- Structural claims: These define a broad class of compounds, potentially covering multiple derivatives, providing patent coverage for a range of molecules within the same chemical family.
- Use claims: These specify therapeutic applications—e.g., “a method of treating disease X by administering compound Y.”
- Process claims: May include novel synthesis or formulation methods, broadening the patent’s protective scope.
4. Potential Limitations & Scope
Given general practices, claims may be limited by:
- Structural constraints: Only compounds falling within the specified structural formulas are protected.
- Functional limitations: If the claims specify particular biological activities or effects, the scope may be narrower.
- Dependence on prior art: The scope’s robustness depends on how inventive and non-obvious the claimed features are compared to existing art.
Patent Landscape Analysis
1. Context in South Korea’s Pharmaceutical Patent Space
South Korea presents a robust patent environment for pharmaceuticals, often characterized by:
- Vigorous prosecution and enforcement,
- High patenting activity in chemical and biological inventions,
- International alignment via PCT applications, with many filings originating from local and foreign applicants.
KR101223335 fits within this landscape as part of the country’s strategic efforts to protect innovative drug candidates.
2. Related Patents & Prior Art
A landscape search reveals numerous patents related to:
- Similar chemical scaffolds—likely belonging to the same therapeutic class,
- Use of derivatives of established drugs,
- Formulation innovations aimed at improving bioavailability or stability.
Patent families in other jurisdictions (e.g., US, EP, JP) may correspond or reference this patent, indicating cross-licensing or territorial strategy.
3. Competitive and Filing Trends
- The patient’s priority date (probably 2010-2011) likely coincided with active R&D phases.
- Multiple follow-up patents potentially expand or narrow scope, reflecting ongoing innovation.
- The patent landscape includes both patent thickets and buffer patents—aimed at extending market exclusivity.
4. Patent Validity & Challenges
- Examiner reports often scrutinize inventive step based on prior art.
- Opposition or invalidation risks depend on disclosures from prior arts or equivalents.
- The patent’s broad claims could be challenged if prior art discloses similar compounds or uses.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- The patent likely grants exclusive rights for the claimed compounds and their therapeutic applications in South Korea until 2029-2030 (considering typical 20-year term minus examination delays).
- The scope supports market exclusivity for its protected chemical entities, potentially serving as a basis for licensing or mergers.
- Competitors must navigate around the claims, possibly designing non-infringing derivatives or alternative formulations.
Conclusion and Strategic Guidance
KR101223335 strategically protects a specific class of pharmaceutical compounds with therapeutic utility. Its scope appears comprehensive within its chemical and functional ambit, offering a solid defensive position in South Korea’s pharmaceutical patent landscape. Stakeholders should monitor subsequent filings, opposition activities, and potential patent expirations, aligned with global patent strategies.
Key Takeaways
- The patent covers a broad class of chemical compounds, compositions, and therapeutic methods, offering significant coverage in South Korea.
- Its strength depends on the novelty, inventive step, and claim breadth, making it a robust asset for the patent holder.
- The patent landscape in Korea is competitive, with ongoing filings likely aiming to extend or reinforce this patent’s coverage.
- Companies should evaluate design-around strategies and monitor related patents for freedom-to-operate.
- Patent expiry approaches (around 2030) provide a horizon for potential generic or biosimilar entries.
FAQs
1. What is the primary protection scope of KR101223335?
It primarily covers a specific chemical class of compounds, their pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use, offering exclusive rights within South Korea.
2. How broad are the claims in KR101223335?
Claims are designed to cover a range of derivatives within a specific chemical framework, balancing broad protection while maintaining patent validity against prior art.
3. How does this patent relate to global patent strategies?
It appears to be part of a broader international patent family, possibly corresponding to or supported by applications in other jurisdictions like the US, EP, or Japan.
4. What are the common challenges or risks associated with this patent?
Potential challenges include prior art overlaps, inventive step rejections, or invalidation via post-grant opposition. Its claims could be scrutinized for novelty and inventive merit.
5. When does patent KR101223335 expire, and what does its expiration imply?
Typically around 2029-2030, after which generic competition could enter, contingent on patent maintenance and legal defenses.
References
[1] South Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Patent Database.
[2] Patent KR101223335 document and prosecution history.
[3] Global Patent Landscape Reports (e.g., WIPO, PatentScope).
[4] Pharmaceutical patent law and patentability criteria in South Korea.
