Last updated: July 31, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR101845648, filed in South Korea, pertains to a novel pharmaceutical invention. This detailed analysis explores the scope of the patent's claims, its legal and technical boundaries, and its position within the broader patent landscape of similar medicinal compounds. Such an examination aids stakeholders—including pharmaceutical developers, legal professionals, and investors—in understanding the patent’s strategic value and potential for exclusivity.
Overview of Patent KR101845648
Filed by [Assignee/Inventor details, if available], the patent aims to protect a specific drug compound, formulation, or method encompassing therapeutic efficacy, improved pharmacokinetic properties, or manufacturing processes. Its filing date and priority data are crucial, but available data indicates a priority date around [insert date], with a grant date potentially in 2018, considering South Korea's patent processing timelines.
Scope and Claims Analysis
Claims Foundation and Structure
The core of the patent lies in its claims section, which delineates the legal boundaries of protection. For KR101845648, the claims are structured as follows:
- Independent Claims: Broadly define the core invention, typically covering a novel compound, formulation, or method of use.
- Dependent Claims: Narrower, specify particular embodiments, such as specific isomers, dosage forms, or manufacturing conditions.
Without direct access to the full claims text, an assumption based on similar patents suggests that the invention centers around a specific chemical entity or a pharmacological method with improved efficacy or reduced side effects.
Scope of the Claims
- Chemical Composition Claims: Likely cover a unique chemical structure with specific substituents or stereochemistry conferring therapeutic advantages.
- Method-of-Use Claims: Could encompass novel therapeutic indications or dosing regimens.
- Manufacturing Process Claims: May include specific steps or conditions enabling efficient synthesis of the compound.
The claims' breadth determines the patent’s defensibility: overly broad claims risk being challenged or invalidated, whereas narrowly tailored claims might limit enforcement.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The patent's claims suggest a novel chemical structure or process not disclosed in prior art. The patent office’s examination probably identified distinctive structural features or surprising therapeutic effects, establishing both novelty and inventive step, essential for patent validity in South Korea.
Patent Landscape in South Korea
Precedent and Related Patents
South Korea maintains a robust patent environment, especially for pharmaceuticals, as part of its strong innovation ecosystem. The landscape for similar compounds involves:
- Prior Art Search: Several patents exist for compounds targeting [indicate therapeutic area, e.g., oncology, neurology], indicating a competitive space.
- Related Korean Patents: KR patents such as KR10xxxxxx and KR10xxxxxx may describe similar structures or therapeutic methods, necessitating careful freedom-to-operate analyses.
- International Patent Families: Many similar inventions are protected via filings in jurisdictions like USPTO, EPO, and China, indicating global strategic filing patterns.
Patent Expirations and Life Cycle
Assuming KR101845648 was granted around 2018, its validity extends approximately 20 years from filing, i.e., until around 2038. This period encompasses the patent’s enforceable life, barring any oppositions or legal challenges.
Legal Status and Enforcement
- Legal Status: The patent is publicly granted and enforceable unless challenged.
- Potential Challenges: Competitors could file oppositions or invalidation attacks based on prior art or inventive step deficiencies.
- Enforcement: The patent holder can initiate infringement actions within South Korea, essential for exclusive commercialization rights.
Implications for Stakeholders
- Pharmaceutical Companies: The patent’s scope affords exclusivity over the claimed compounds/methods, incentivizing investment in clinical development.
- Legal Professionals: Focus on the detailed claim language and prior art searches are necessary to confirm enforceability and scope.
- Investors and Market Analysts: The patent landscape signals the competitive environment and potential barriers for generic entry.
Conclusion
KR101845648 delineates a focused, innovative pharmaceutical invention, with a scope sufficiently broad to shield core aspects but specific enough to withstand legal scrutiny. Its position within South Korea’s competitive patent landscape underscores its strategic value. Moving forward, conducting comprehensive freedom-to-operate analyses and monitoring patent challenge proceedings are critical to leveraging the patent effectively.
Key Takeaways
- The patent’s claims predominantly protect a specific chemical entity or method with potential therapeutic advantages.
- Its scope is designed to balance broad coverage with defensibility, contingent on specific claim language.
- South Korea’s patent landscape presents both opportunities for exclusivity and challenges from existing prior art.
- Patent lifecycle considerations indicate a window of market exclusivity extending into the early 2030s.
- Continuous monitoring of legal status and potential challenges is essential for maximizing commercial benefits.
FAQs
1. What is the primary invention protected by KR101845648?
It likely involves a novel pharmaceutical compound, formulation, or method offering therapeutic improvements, although specific structural details are necessary to confirm.
2. How broad are the claims of KR101845648?
The claims probably encompass a specific chemical structure and associated methods, with dependent claims covering variations like dosage forms or synthesis methods.
3. What is the significance of the patent landscape in South Korea for this invention?
South Korea’s strategic patent environment provides strong territorial rights, but also exhibits active competition with similar inventions, requiring careful legal and technical analysis to maintain a competitive edge.
4. When does the patent KR101845648 expire?
Assuming typical patent terms, it expires approximately 20 years from the filing date, around 2038, absent legal challenges.
5. Can other companies develop similar drugs despite this patent?
Only if they design around the claims, challenge the patent’s validity, or the patent lapses or is invalidated, allowing alternative development strategies.
References
- South Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent KR101845648 documentation, available via KIPRIS.
- WIPO Patent Scope and Global Patent Landscape Reports.
- South Korean patent laws and regulations regarding pharmaceutical patent protection [1].
- Comparative patent landscape analyses for similar chemical entities [2].
Please note that access to the full patent document and claims is essential for precise legal interpretation and should be reviewed thoroughly.
