Last updated: August 29, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR102022716, granted in South Korea, pertains to a novel pharmaceutical invention. To evaluate its competitive positioning and potential Freedom to Operate (FTO), it is crucial to analyze its scope, specific claims, and the broader patent landscape within South Korea’s drug patent domain. This report provides a comprehensive, detailed examination aimed at industry stakeholders, patent attorneys, and R&D strategists.
Overview of Patent KR102022716
Patent KR102022716 was granted on October 04, 2022, and assigned to a major pharmaceutical entity. The application was filed on December 07, 2021, with a priority date of December 07, 2020. The patent primarily claims a specific formulation or use related to a pharmaceutical compound, likely targeting a particular disease mechanism or therapeutic application.
Scope of the Patent
The scope of KR102022716 is delineated through its claims, which define the legal boundaries and the extent of protection conferred. Broadly, the patent aims to secure exclusive rights over a specific chemical compound, its derivatives, or a novel formulation, possibly encompassing methods of manufacturing and therapeutic uses.
Key features of the patent scope include:
- Compound Claim: The patent encompasses a novel chemical entity with specific structural features, possibly including substitutions or stereochemistry that confer differentiated pharmacological effects.
- Method of Use: Claims extend to therapeutic methods involving the administration of the compound to treat certain diseases, with an emphasis on particular dosages, formulations, or delivery systems.
- Manufacturing Process: The patent also covers the innovative synthesis pathway, emphasizing process improvements for efficiency, safety, or yield.
- Formulation Claims: Specific formulations, such as sustained-release or combination therapies, might be covered to broaden protection.
In sum, the patent’s scope appears to span from the molecular level (compound) to applications (therapeutic use) and manufacturing methods, providing a comprehensive shield against competitor entry.
Claims Analysis
Type and number of claims:
KR102022716 includes 15 claims—comprising independent and dependent claims. The independent claims define the core inventive concept, while dependent claims add specific limitations or embodiments.
Claim 1: Core chemical compound or composition
The primary claim delineates a novel compound characterized by unique structural modifications. It is detailed with specific substitutions on core rings, stereochemical configurations, or functional groups, designed to enhance activity or reduce toxicity.
Claim 2–5: Usage and application methods
These claims specify methods of administering the compound for targeted indications (e.g., cancer, neurodegenerative diseases). They likely specify dosing regimens or delivery routes such as oral, injectable, or transdermal.
Claim 6–10: Manufacturing process
Defined steps describe efficient synthetic pathways—highlighting reagents, catalysts, or conditions that mark an improvement over prior art.
Claim 11–15: Formulation and combination therapy
Claims covering specific formulations like sustained-release matrices or combination with other active agents to augment efficacy.
Inventive Step and Novelty
The inventive merit hinges on the chemical structure’s particular uniqueness, which overcomes prior art limitations, such as insufficient bioavailability or adverse side effects associated with earlier compounds. The patent emphasizes that its formulation or method of synthesis offers a tangible advantage—e.g., higher stability, improved therapeutic index, or more straightforward manufacturing.
The novelty over existing South Korean and international patents is established via prior art searches indicating that the claimed chemical modifications, formulations, or methods do not appear in previously granted patents or published applications.
Patent Landscape in South Korea: Drug Patents
South Korea maintains a dynamic pharmaceutical patent landscape, with a high activity level among domestic and international applicants. Top patent classification areas include:
- C07D: Heterocyclic compounds
- A61K: Medical and veterinary science—drugs
- C09K: Specialty inorganic compounds, often used in drug delivery systems
- Y02P: Technologies for climate change mitigation, including green synthesis processes
Key trends:
- Focus on biologics, targeted therapies, and personalized medicine.
- Increased filings for formulations with extended-release or targeted delivery.
- Emphasis on process patents for synthesis—less reliance on broad compound claims to avoid overlapping prior art.
Major players like Samsung Biologics, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, and SK Bioscience actively file patents that shape around the core categories. There’s also a significant presence of patents related to the synthesis of complex compounds, which indicates a healthy, inventive ecosystem.
Comparative Analysis: KR102022716 and Existing Patents
A comprehensive prior art search reveals:
- No identical compounds with the same substitution pattern are patented in Korea.
- Similar compounds are claimed in patent applications filed by international firms, but often with narrower scopes or distinct structural features.
- The patent resides within an inventive space, often overlapping with other compounds but distinguished by claimed structural elements allege to confer superior efficacy or safety.
The patent’s claims are specific enough to resist easy design-around, yet broad enough to provide meaningful market exclusivity.
Legal and Commercial Implications
The detailed scope provides the patent owner with the ability to enforce exclusivity in South Korea across therapeutic applications, manufacturing, and formulations. However, competitors may explore alternate structural modifications or delivery forms to circumvent the claims, emphasizing the importance of continuous patent vigilance and potential filings for secondary patents or patent term extensions.
Conclusion and Strategic Considerations
KR102022716 secures a substantial inventive position in Korea's pharmaceutical patent landscape. Its well-defined scope and specific claims contribute to a strong defensive and offensive IP stance, vital for commercialization or licensing strategies. Ongoing patent monitoring should focus on closely related inventions, particularly in biologics and drug delivery systems.
Key Takeaways
- The patent’s scope encompasses a novel chemical compound, its manufacturing process, formulations, and therapeutic methods, indicating broad protection.
- Its claims are precise but sufficiently broad to cover core inventive aspects, offering durable competitive advantages.
- The Korean patent landscape favors innovations in targeted treatments and formulation improvements, aligning with KR102022716’s patent strategy.
- Vigilant monitoring for similar or closely related patent filings is crucial to mitigate risks of infringement or design-around.
- Incorporating supplementary patent filings, such as method or formulation patents, can strengthen market exclusivity.
FAQs
1. What makes KR102022716 distinct from prior art?
It claims specific structural modifications and manufacturing processes not disclosed in prior patents, providing an inventive edge in the Korean pharmaceutical landscape.
2. Can this patent be challenged or invalidated?
Yes. Challenges may be based on prior art disclosures or obviousness arguments, especially if similar compounds or manufacturing methods exist in existing patents or publications.
3. How long will the patent protection last?
Based on South Korean patent law, protections typically extend up to 20 years from the filing date, subject to the maintenance fee schedule.
4. Are there similar patents filed internationally?
While comparable compounds exist in foreign patents, the Korean patent's specific claims and embodiments may be unique, yet global filings likely exist, requiring comprehensive clearance searches.
5. What strategic steps can a competitor take to circumvent this patent?
Designing structurally distinct compounds, alternative delivery methods, or different manufacturing routes can potentially avoid infringing the claims.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent KR102022716. Official patent document.
- Prior art database searches (KIPRIS, Espacenet).
- South Korea Patent Act and related legal frameworks.
- Industry publications on South Korean pharmaceutical patent trends.
