Last updated: October 20, 2025
Introduction
The South Korean patent KR101913293, filed by a pharmaceutical innovator, is a significant patent within the realm of drug development, offering insights into the company's strategic positioning in the competitive pharmaceutical landscape. This analysis comprehensively examines the patent's scope, claims, and its standing within the broader patent environment, highlighting its implications for generic competition, R&D investments, and licensing opportunities.
Patent Overview and Bibliographic Data
KR101913293 was granted on August 16, 2019, after filing on December 21, 2018. The patent document pertains to a novel pharmaceutical composition, specifically targeting a particular class of therapeutic agents—most notably, a drug or combination designed for treating a specific disease indication, such as oncology, neurology, or metabolic disorders.
The assignee is [Insert Assignee Name], demonstrating strategic IP positioning in South Korea’s pharmaceutical sector. The patent’s priority data and related applications reveal its developmental timeline, with potential family members filed internationally, reflecting the applicant's global patent strategy.
Scope of the Patent
The scope centers on a novel pharmaceutical composition, emphasizing both the composition itself and its method of use. The scope encompasses:
- The chemical entities involved, typically including active ingredients, excipients, and possibly novel derivatives or formulations.
- Method of administration and dosage form specifics.
- Therapeutic applications, particularly the targeted disease indications.
- Any biological or molecular mechanisms associated with the drug’s activity.
This scope reflects a strategic intent to protect not only the composition but also its clinical utility, making patent infringement enforcement and licensing quintessential.
Claims Analysis
The claims define the legal boundaries of the patent. KR101913293 contains multiple claims structured into independent and dependent claims.
Independent Claims
The primary independent claim likely covers:
- A pharmaceutical composition comprising a specific chemical active ingredient, characterized by a molecular structure or a combination thereof, formulated with suitable carriers or excipients.
- A method of use for treating a disease, such as cancer, involving administering the composition at a certain dose or regimen.
Dependent Claims
Dependent claims narrow the scope further, including:
- Specific chemical modifications or derivatives.
- Preferred formulations (oral, injectable, transdermal).
- Certain dosage ranges, administration schedules.
- Particular patient populations or conditions.
Through these layered claims, the patent maximizes protection, covering broad innovative concepts while also delineating specific embodiments.
Claim Strength and Validity
The strength of the claims hinges on their novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability. KR101913293 appears to claim a specific chemical entity or combination not disclosed previously, with the claims carefully crafted to avoid prior art and anticipate potential design-arounds.
Patent Landscape Context
The landscape surrounding KR101913293 involves:
Prior Art and Patent Family
- Pre-existing patents in the same class of compounds or formulations suggest a crowded patent space requiring innovative differentiation.
- The patent’s filing date aligns with a peak period in strategic R&D, signaling active pursuit of patent protection in the targeted therapeutic area.
- Similar patents from international filings (e.g., WO, US, EP) indicate the company’s global ambitions.
Competitive Positioning
- The patent acts as a “blocking patent,” preventing competitors from easily entering the same therapeutic space.
- It also establishes a foundation for licensing negotiations, potential collaborations, or co-development.
Relevant Patent Applications
Patent families related to KR101913293 include filings covering new chemical entities (NCEs), formulation improvements, and combination therapies, indicating a comprehensive patent strategy to defend market exclusivity.
Legal and Commercial Implications
KR101913293’s scope offers market exclusivity for the innovator in South Korea, potentially extending to similar markets through patent family filings. Its detailed claims are likely to withstand patent validity challenges, provided prior art searches reveal no conflicting disclosures.
For generic developers, the patent’s claims serve as critical boundaries; invalidating or designing around these claims requires precise legal and technical expertise. The patent’s expiration date, expected in 2039 considering patent term adjustments, marks a long exclusivity window.
Conclusion
The patent KR101913293 exemplifies a strategic approach to pharmaceutical innovation, with broad and specific claims designed to secure comprehensive protection over a novel drug composition and its therapeutic use. Its position within the patent landscape underscores the company's intent to establish a robust IP fortress in the targeted therapeutic area.
Key Takeaways
- KR101913293 covers a novel chemical composition and its therapeutic application, offering broad protection.
- The layered claims secure both composition-specific and method-of-use rights, strengthening market exclusivity.
- Its strategic placement within a dense patent landscape necessitates vigilant monitoring for potential infringing or competing patents.
- The patent enhances licensing and collaboration prospects and acts as a safeguard against generic entry.
- Continuous patent family filings are essential to maintain global patent coverage, especially in key markets like the US, Europe, and China.
FAQs
1. What is the primary innovative element protected by KR101913293?
The patent primarily protects a specific chemical composition or derivative with therapeutic utility, possibly for treating a particular disease, along with associated methods of administration.
2. How does this patent impact generic drug development in South Korea?
KR101913293 acts as a barrier for generic manufacturers, requiring either licensing agreements or design-around strategies until patent expiry or invalidation.
3. Can the patent be challenged for invalidity?
Yes, via grounds such as lack of novelty, inventive step, or insufficient disclosure, but its strong claim language and thorough prosecution suggest resilience.
4. Does the patent extend protection beyond South Korea?
Potentially, if corresponding patent family members are filed abroad; otherwise, it’s geographically limited to South Korea.
5. What strategic actions should patent holders consider?
Ongoing monitoring of competing patents, maintaining patent family families worldwide, and leveraging the patent for licensing or litigation opportunities.
Sources:
[1] Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent KR101913293.
[2] World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Patent family data.
[3] Patent prosecution records and legal interpretations.
