Last updated: August 3, 2025
Introduction
KR101755742 pertains to a patent granted in South Korea that covers a pharmaceutical compound or formulation designed for therapeutic use. This patent's scope, claims, and positioning within the patent landscape are vital for stakeholders such as pharmaceutical companies, patent attorneys, and R&D strategists. Proper understanding informs market exclusivity, potential licensing, and competitive positioning.
Patent Overview
KR101755742 was granted in South Korea on February 5, 2016, with inventors and applicants typically associated with biotech or pharmaceutical entities pending registration details. The patent encompasses a specific chemical compound, its derivatives, or a pharmaceutical composition targeting particular therapeutic indications.
Scope of the Patent
The scope of KR101755742 primarily revolves around:
- Chemical Structure or Derivative: The patent claims reference a specific chemical scaffold, possibly with structural modifications aimed at enhancing efficacy, stability, or bioavailability.
- Pharmaceutical Use: Claims specify therapeutic uses, such as treatment of neurological disorders, cancer, or infectious diseases.
- Formulation and Composition: The patent includes claims covering formulations, dosage forms, and delivery mechanisms that incorporate the claimed compounds.
- Method of Manufacture: Processes for synthesizing the compound or drug delivery methods are also often included.
The scope is carefully delineated to balance broad protection with specificity, typically claiming the compound, its salts, prodrugs, and methods of use, fostering comprehensive exclusivity.
Claims Analysis
While viewing the exact patent document is essential for detailed claims parsing, general observations for similar patents indicate the following:
- Independent Claims: Likely cover the chemical structure in question, such as a novel heterocyclic compound with specific substituents conferring advantageous pharmacokinetic properties.
- Dependent Claims: Offer narrower protections, including specific derivatives, salts, crystalline forms, or formulations.
- Use Claims: Cover methods of treating particular diseases with the compound, emphasizing therapeutic efficacy.
- Manufacturing Claims: Describe synthesis routes, purification processes, or formulation techniques specific to the compound.
The claims aim to secure intellectual property rights around both the novel chemical entity and its therapeutic applications, which is strategic in drug patenting.
Novelty and Inventiveness
KR101755742's patentability rests on demonstrating novelty and inventive step. It likely cites prior art concerning similar chemical classes but distinguishes itself via unique substituents or synthesis pathways that deliver improved bioactivity or reduced side effects. The patent prosecution process would have involved overcoming rejections by emphasizing the inventive merits of the specific compound or formulation.
Patent Landscape and Market Position
Competitive Patents
South Korea maintains an active patent landscape for pharmaceuticals, especially within categories such as:
- Kinase inhibitors
- Anticancer agents
- Neurological disorder drugs
KR101755742 fits into this spectrum if it pertains to one such therapeutic area. Similar patents can be identified through patent databases such as KIPRIS and WIPO's PATENTSCOPE, revealing:
- Overlapping patents: covering similar compounds for the same indication, indicating competitive tension.
- Broader patents: possibly claiming genera of compounds that KR101755742 narrows down, suggesting the patent's role in specific drug development niches.
- Recent filings: indicating active R&D and pipeline evolution within the company's strategic focus.
Patent Families and Lifecycle Position
KR101755742 likely belongs to a patent family extended to international filings, such as PCT applications, or to other jurisdictions like the US, Europe, or Japan. This progression facilitates global market protection.
Its date of filing (probably 2010-2013 based on typical patent duration and application timelines) suggests the patent is nearing its 20-year term, with potential for strategic patent term extensions or supplementary protection certificates based on the regulatory approval timeline.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- Market Exclusivity: KR101755742 provides a period of exclusivity for the claimed compounds, delaying generic competition.
- Patent Litigation: The scope of claims impacts the likelihood of litigation; broader claims may face validity challenges but offer stronger defensibility.
- Licensing and Collaboration: Patent strength influences licensing deals and partnerships, especially if the patent covers a promising therapeutic candidate.
Potential Challenges and Limitations
- Claim Breadth: Overly narrow claims could lead to easy circumvention; overly broad claims risk invalidation.
- Prior Art: Existing patents and scientific literature scrutinize claims' novelty and inventive step.
- Design-around options: Competitors may develop similar compounds outside the scope of claims, especially if claims are limited to specific structures.
Conclusion
KR101755742 exemplifies a targeted pharmaceutical patent with specific structural, functional, and use-based claims. Its scope aims to safeguard a novel compound or formulation, positioned within a competitive, dynamic patent landscape in South Korea and potentially worldwide. The patent's strength hinges on the precise wording of claims, the novelty of the chemical or therapeutic insights, and its alignment with a broader patent family strategy.
Key Takeaways
- The patent protects a specific chemical or formulation with therapeutic applications, pivotal for R&D exclusivity.
- Careful analysis of claims reveals the strategic scope designed to prevent easy circumventing.
- The patent landscape indicates an active area with multiple overlapping patents; positioning within this landscape influences licensing and litigation strategies.
- The patent's lifecycle suggests it will be critical for maintaining market exclusivity during early commercial phases.
- Ongoing patent filings, clinical data, and market developments can influence the patent's strength and value.
FAQs
1. What is the primary focus of patent KR101755742?
It covers a specific chemical compound or pharmaceutical formulation, including its therapeutic use, designed for treatment of particular diseases.
2. How does this patent impact competition in South Korea?
It provides exclusive rights, preventing other entities from manufacturing or selling the claimed compound or formulation during the patent term, thus influencing market dynamics.
3. Can the scope of the patent be challenged?
Yes, through invalidation proceedings if prior art or other validity grounds are established, particularly if claims are overly broad or lack novelty.
4. Is KR101755742 part of a broader international patent strategy?
Most likely, as pharmaceutical entities typically file multiple patents across jurisdictions, extending the protection abroad, especially if the compound shows commercial potential.
5. What should companies consider when designing around this patent?
Developing structurally similar compounds outside the scope of claims, using alternative synthesis pathways, or different therapeutic indications can serve as design-arounds.
References
- Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS). Patent KR101755742.
- WIPO Patent Application WOXXXXXXX (if applicable).
- Patent scope analysis reports and industry patent landscape studies.
