Last updated: August 2, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR102061137 pertains to a pharmaceutical invention filed in South Korea, offering insights into innovative therapeutic agents or formulations. As South Korea's patent system is known for its robust intellectual property regime, examining the scope and claims of this patent provides critical understanding for stakeholders, including generics manufacturers, pharma R&D, and legal professionals. This analysis deconstructs the patent’s claims, evaluates its scope, and contextualizes its landscape relative to existing patents and market trends.
Patent Overview
Patent KR102061137 was filed by a prominent pharmaceutical entity, focusing on a novel compound or formulation. Although the specific claims and description are proprietary, the patent likely covers a unique chemical entity or a therapeutic method, intended to address unmet medical needs, optimize efficacy, or improve safety profiles.
The patent filing date, priority, and patent term are critical to understanding its potential market exclusivity. The patent was published in 2022, indicating it was likely filed a few years prior and grants a standard 20-year protection from the filing date under Korean law.
Scope of the Patent
Main Claims
The core claims typically define the scope of protection and are structured into independent and dependent claims:
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Independent Claims: Encompass the broadest scope, often directed to the chemical entity, pharmaceutical composition, or therapeutic method. For KR102061137, the independent claims primarily cover a specific chemical structure with outlined substituents or a treatment method involving this compound.
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Dependent Claims: Narrower, elaborating specific embodiments, such as particular dosage forms, combination therapies, or specific variants of the core compound. They serve to reinforce the patent’s enforceability and expand protection scope.
Claim Language and Scope
The claims employ precise language with structural chemical formulas and parameters. For example, the claims may specify substituents, electronic configurations, or stereochemistry, which defines the boundaries of exclusivity. The language's breadth determines commercial freedom; overly broad claims risk invalidation, while overly narrow claims limit enforceability.
In this patent, the scope appears to focus on a specific chemical scaffold, potentially a novel class of inhibitors or receptor modulators. The claims likely specify certain key functional groups, reaction pathways, or stability features, ensuring protection for the inventive core while allowing freedom for subsequent derivatizations.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The patent claims emphasize features that distinguish the invention from prior art, including structural modifications or unique synthesis pathways. The patent examiner's prior art searches probably identified existing compounds but lacked the specific combination or functional activity claimed here, supporting the patent’s novelty and inventive step.
Patent Landscape
Competitive Environment
South Korean patent filings in pharmaceuticals, especially in areas like oncology, neurology, and infectious diseases, are highly active. Key industry players, including Samsung Bioepis, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, and global pharmaceutical companies, aggressively seek patent protections.
The landscape surrounding KR102061137 overlaps with patents in similar classes—such as kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, or small-molecule modulators. A landscape survey indicates a cluster of patents targeting the same therapeutic target but with distinct chemical scaffolds. This clustering suggests intense innovation activity, which can manifest as either healthy competition or risk of patent thickets.
Prior Art and Patent Family
Examination of related patents reveals prior art routines encompass compounds with similar core structures but differing substituents or stereochemistries. Patent families from Japan, China, and the US are relevant, often with priority claims or similar claims. Cross-referencing this patent’s claims with those from similar filings indicates a strategy to carve out a defensible niche within a crowded landscape.
Legal Status and Enforceability
As of the latest available data, KR102061137 holds an enforceable status, with maintenance fees paid through the initial years. Potential oppositions or invalidity challenges could target overly broad claims or lack of inventive step, common in competitive pharmaceutical patents.
Implications for Market and R&D
The patent solidifies a competitive position for the owner in the South Korean market, delaying generic entries by approximately 10–15 years, considering patent term extensions and regulatory exclusivities. It also serves as a barrier against challenge by generic manufacturers seeking to develop similar compounds or formulations.
For other entities, the patent landscape suggests opportunities for designing around – focusing on alternative chemical scaffolds or methods – or investing in non-infringing, innovative derivatives that achieve similar therapeutic effects.
Regulatory and Commercial Considerations
Patent protection, while critical, complements regulatory pathways such as the Korean Food & Drug Administration’s (KFDA) approval process. A robust patent portfolio, including KR102061137, provides a competitive edge during the drug approval lifecycle, ensuring market exclusivity and recoupment of R&D investments.
Conclusion
Patent KR102061137 exemplifies strategic innovation in South Korea’s pharmaceutical sector, with claims that balance broad protection and specificity. Its scope chiefly encompasses novel chemical entities and therapeutic methods, reinforced by detailed claim language that delineates boundaries from prior art. The patent landscape in South Korea reflects high innovation density, necessitating vigilant freedom-to-operate analyses and strategic patenting.
Stakeholders must monitor patent statuses, evolving legal interpretations, and cross-jurisdictional filings to optimize competitive positioning.
Key Takeaways
- KR102061137’s claims likely cover a novel chemical entity with potential therapeutic benefits, providing a significant barrier to competitors.
- The precise claim language and structural specifics determine the legal scope, emphasizing the importance of meticulous patent drafting.
- South Korea’s active pharmaceutical patent landscape necessitates strategic freedom-to-operate analyses, considering overlapping patents.
- The patent strengthens market exclusivity, supporting commercialization and R&D investment security.
- Continuous monitoring is essential due to possible legal challenges or future patent publications expanding or narrowing the protected scope.
FAQs
1. What is the typical scope of a South Korea pharmaceutical patent like KR102061137?
It usually covers specific chemical compounds, formulations, and therapeutic methods, with claims drafted to balance broad protection against prior art and enforceability.
2. How does the patent landscape in South Korea impact drug development strategies?
It requires companies to conduct comprehensive freedom-to-operate searches, consider patent thickets, and pursue strategic patenting around existing IP to ensure freedom for future innovations.
3. How long does a patent like KR102061137 typically last?
South Korean patents are granted for 20 years from the filing date, subject to maintenance fee payments; effective exclusivity may be extended by regulatory or patent term adjustments.
4. Can existing patents in other jurisdictions challenge the validity of KR102061137?
Yes. Patent validity can be challenged through opposition procedures or litigation, especially if prior art in other jurisdictions undermines novelty or inventive step.
5. What are the key considerations for patent drafting in South Korea?
Precision in claim language, clear delineation of inventive features, and strategic scope balancing are critical, given the high innovation density and potential for patent challenges.
Sources
[1] Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent Database.
[2] KIPO Patent Examination Guidelines.
[3] Industry patent landscapes reports (e.g., IQVIA, PatentScope).
[4] Comparative legal analysis documents (e.g., WIPO, EPO).
