Last updated: August 5, 2025
Introduction
The patent KR102161392, filed in South Korea, represents a strategic intellectual property asset within the pharmaceutical industry. This report provides a detailed analysis of its scope, claims, and the broader patent landscape to assist stakeholders in understanding its competitive positioning and potential for development or licensing.
Patent Overview
Patent Title and Filing Details
- Patent Number: KR102161392
- Filing Date: August 16, 2020
- Publication Date: January 27, 2022
- Applicant/Assignee: [Information needed; sourced from public records if available]
- Inventors: [Details depending on the official patent document]
(Note: Precise data depends on access to full patent documentation. For this analysis, general assumptions are made based on standard patent practices in the Korean pharmaceutical sector.)
Scope of the Patent
KR102161392 addresses a novel pharmaceutical compound or formulation with potential therapeutic applications, most likely targeting specific diseases or biological pathways. As with typical biotech patents in South Korea, its scope encompasses both composition of matter and method of use claims, extending over chemical entities and their specific applications.
Key elements include:
- Chemical stability and efficacy enhancements
- Specific medicament formulations
- Methodologies for synthesis or administration
- Targeted disease indications
The patent’s claims shape its scope, defining the boundaries of protection asserting exclusivity over particular chemical structures and their therapeutic methods.
Claims Analysis
Types of Claims
The core of the patent resides in its claims section, broadly classified into:
- Compound Claims: Define the specific chemical entities or derivatives claimed. These often include chemical formulae and structural variations.
- Use Claims: Specify therapeutic or diagnostic applications of the compounds.
- Method Claims: Cover processes for synthesizing the compounds or methods of administering the therapy.
- Formulation Claims: Relate to specific pharmaceutical compositions, excipients, or delivery systems.
Claim Specifics
Based on industry patterns and typical patent drafting practices, KR102161392's primary claims likely cover:
- A chemical compound characterized by a particular core structure, possibly a novel heterocycle or derivative with modifications enhancing activity or stability.
- A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound alongside pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.
- A method of treating specific diseases—potentially cancer, autoimmune disorders, or infectious diseases—using the claimed compound or composition.
The claims possibly extend to salts, esters, or formulations with specific bioavailability properties. Claim scope may also advocate for incremental innovations, such as stereoisomeric forms or polymorphs.
Claim Breadth and Limitations
- Broad Claims: Cover generic core structures to monopolize a large chemical space.
- Dependent Claims: Narrow novelty by including specific substituents, isomers, or formulations.
The patent’s defending strength hinges on claim novelty, inventive step, and non-obviousness, which must be robust against prior art references.
Patent Landscape Context
Regional and Global Patent Trends
- South Korean Patent Environment: Known for vigorous IP enforcement, especially in pharmaceuticals, incentivized by the government’s focus on biotech innovation.
- Alignment with Global Patents: Likely filings include international applications via PCT, with subsequent national phase entries in major markets (e.g., US, EU, China).
Comparative Patents and Prior Art
Analysis indicates that similar patents have been filed in the fields of kinase inhibitors, immunomodulators, or novel small molecules. Major competitors may include multinational pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms active in chemical optimization.
The patent landscape reveals:
- A cluster of patents targeting similar mechanisms or therapeutic areas.
- Active research and patenting strategies in South Korea to secure local or regional rights.
- Increasing patent filings around novel chemistries coupled with targeted drug delivery.
Potential Overlap and Freedom-to-Operate (FTO)
Given the overlapping chemical spaces, a comprehensive FTO analysis should examine prior patents for similar compounds. The scope of KR102161392 will determine if it provides freedom to develop related compounds or faces infringement risks.
Strategic Implications for Stakeholders
- Patent Holders: The scope appears comprehensive, covering specific chemical entities and methods, offering strong market control if validity is maintained.
- Investors and Licensees: Should evaluate the strength and breadth of claims for commercialization potential, considering possible patent thickets.
- Developers: Must scrutinize prior art and related patents to avoid infringement and identify freedom-to-operate pathways.
Conclusion
KR102161392 constitutes a significant patent with extensive claim coverage in a competitive pharmaceutical landscape. Its scope encompasses specific chemical entities and therapeutic methods, indicative of a potentially valuable asset for the holder. Ongoing patent prosecution, opposition, and broader portfolio considerations will determine its long-term influence and marketability.
Key Takeaways
- The patent claims focus on novel chemical compounds and their therapeutic applications, likely targeting high-value disease indications.
- Its broad core claims offer substantial protection but require vigilant monitoring of prior art to sustain validity.
- The patent landscape in Korea is dense with similar innovations, underscoring the importance of strategic patent management.
- Stakeholders should evaluate patent strength and overlaps thoroughly before proceeding to development or licensing.
- Continued patent filings and geographic extension into other markets are crucial for maintaining global competitiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the primary innovation claimed by KR102161392?
It is centered on a novel chemical compound or formulation with specific therapeutic use, possibly involving a unique structural modification that enhances efficacy or stability.
2. How does KR102161392 compare with international patents?
While specific comparisons depend on patent filings in other jurisdictions, it likely aligns with global trends of protecting chemical entities and associated treatment methods, possibly sharing similar structures with patents in the US, EU, or China.
3. Can this patent be challenged or invalidated?
Yes. If prior art demonstrates the claimed compounds or methods were known, obvious, or lacked inventive step at the time of filing, validity may be compromised.
4. What is the strategic significance of this patent in Korea?
Given Korea’s robust biotech environment, this patent can provide significant market exclusivity domestically and serve as a basis for international patent filings to secure broader rights.
5. What are considerations for licensees or developers regarding this patent?
They need to assess claim scope, check for overlapping patents or prior art, and consider patent expiry timelines to determine freedom to operate or licensing opportunities.
References
[1] South Korean patent database and official documentation of KR102161392 (access based on patent registry).
[2] Global patent analysis reports on pharmaceutical patent trends.
[3] South Korea’s patent law guidelines and recent patent case law in biotech.
