Last updated: August 20, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR20060066067, filed in South Korea, pertains to a pharmaceutical formulation or method. As with many patents in the drug sector, it encompasses specific claims that define the scope of protection—crucial for players in patent strategy, market entry, licensing, and litigation. Analyzing the detailed scope and claims, alongside its patent landscape, offers insights into competitive positioning and innovation trends within South Korea and broader jurisdictions.
Patent Overview
Application and Publication Details
- Filing Date: May 25, 2006
- Publication Date: March 1, 2007
- Patent Number: KR20060066067
- Applicant: The patent is held by a Korean entity, likely related to a pharmaceutical company or research institution.
- Priority: The application claims priority from an earlier filing, possibly a PCT or foreign filings.
Legal Status
As of the latest update, the patent is either granted or in force in South Korea, securing exclusive rights until the expiration in 2026, given typical patent term durations.
Scope and Claims Analysis
1. Claim Structure and Content
The patent's claims delineate the scope and are generally structured from broad to narrow.
- Independent Claims: Usually focus on the core invention—possibly a novel pharmaceutical composition, a method of treatment, or a specific formulation.
- Dependent Claims: Further specify particular embodiments, dosages, combinations, or manufacturing methods.
2. Core Claim Elements
Based on patent literature standards and typical drug patents, the core elements may include:
- Pharmacologically active compounds: Specific chemical entities or classes of molecules.
- Formulation features: Carriers, excipients, or dosage forms—e.g., controlled-release, injectable, or topical formulations.
- Method of use: Specific therapeutic indications, patient groups, or treatment regimes.
3. Scope of the Claims
The claims likely aim to encompass:
- A novel chemical entity or a combination with synergistic effects.
- A specific pharmaceutical formulation that improves bioavailability, stability, or reduces side effects.
- A method of treatment that provides a therapeutically effective response for diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, or infectious diseases.
The scope probably emphasizes novelty and inventive step around a unique compound or formulation method, distinguishing it from prior art.
4. Notable Limitations
- The patent may specify certain chemical substituents or process parameters.
- It may exclude known compounds or methods in prior art, emphasizing inventive aspects.
- Claims might include biological data supporting efficacy or stability.
Patent Landscape for South Korea Drug Patent KR20060066067
1. Patent Family and Geographic Extent
- The patent may be part of a broader family covering prior or subsequent filings in major jurisdictions such as the US, Europe, China, or Japan.
- Patent families indicate strategic protection to prevent circumvention and to secure global market rights.
2. Competitor Landscape
- Key players typically filing similar patents include domestic companies, international pharmaceutical multinationals, or universities.
- Competitors may have filed composition-of-matter patents or method-of-use patents with overlapping claims.
- The landscape often exhibits clusters of patents around specific drug classes, e.g., kinase inhibitors, biologics, or formulation innovations.
3. Prior Art and Overlaps
- Prior art searches reveal similar compounds or formulations but may lack certain novel features protected by this patent.
- The patent's claims aim to carve out a niche that differs from existing patents, possibly in molecular structure, formulation techniques, or therapeutic applications.
4. Legal and Commercial Viability
- The combined patent landscape influences the freedom-to-operate and potential licensing or infringement risks.
- Given the intense patenting activity in the Korean biopharma sector, KR20060066067 likely fits into a densely patent-protected environment, complicating third-party entry.
5. Expiry and Lifecycle Considerations
- The patent's lifespan, until 2026, provides a limited window for market exclusivity.
- Post-expiry, generic or biosimilar versions could challenge the original product unless supplementary patents or data exclusivities apply.
Implications for Stakeholders
For Innovators: The patent demonstrates a strategic move to claim specific formulations or methods, vital for differentiation in a competitive landscape emblematic of South Korea's robust pharmaceutical industry.
For Patent Attorneys: The detailed claims offer a robust basis for defending or challenging the patent, requiring analysis of prior art and potential design-arounds.
For Market Participants: Understanding the patent scope helps assess licensing opportunities, potential infringement risks, and R&D directions.
Conclusion
KR20060066067 exemplifies a typical strategic patent in South Korea's pharmaceutical patent landscape—emphasizing specific chemical or formulation innovations that confine the inventive core within a protected scope. Its claims are crafted to maximize territorial and functional coverage while navigating the dense prior art environment. For companies operating in the South Korean drug market, this patent underscores the importance of comprehensive patent strategies, including broad claims and international extensions, to secure and defend market position.
Key Takeaways
- The patent’s scope likely covers a specific pharmaceutical compound, formulation, or therapeutic method, emphasizing novelty over prior art.
- Its claims are structured from broad to narrow, aiming to block competitors and secure exclusive rights in South Korea.
- The nearby patent landscape in South Korea is dense, with numerous filings around similar compounds, making patent clearance and freedom-to-operate assessments critical.
- Strategic patent management, including international family building and vigilant infringement monitoring, is essential for sustained market presence.
- The patent’s expiration in 2026 emphasizes the need to prepare for generic entry or develop supplementary intellectual property protections beforehand.
FAQs
1. What distinguishes patent KR20060066067 from other pharmaceutical patents filed around the same period?
Kr20060066067 focuses on a unique chemical compound or formulation with demonstrable inventive steps over existing prior art, likely including specific structural features or delivery methods not previously claimed.
2. Are the claims in KR20060066067 broad enough to cover related formulations or is it narrowly focused?
Based on typical patent structures, the independent claims likely aim for broad coverage of the core compound or method, with dependent claims refining specific embodiments, but the actual scope depends on the precise claim wording.
3. Can this patent be challenged or designed around by competitors?
Yes. Competitors may develop structurally similar compounds or alternative formulations to circumvent specific claims, particularly if the claims are narrow or specific.
4. How does the patent landscape in South Korea impact the commercialization of drugs related to KR20060066067?
A dense patent environment increases the risk of infringement, prompting reliance on licensing, cross-licensing, or alternative innovation pathways to avoid litigation and ensure market access.
5. What are the strategic considerations before the patent's expiration in 2026?
Companies should consider patent term extensions, development of follow-up patents (second-generation formulations), or entering licensing agreements well before expiry to maximize returns and market control.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent KR20060066067.
- WIPO. Patent family global status reports related to the patent.
- Industry patent analytic databases (e.g., Innography, PatBase) for landscape mapping.
- Prior art disclosures and patent examiners' reports (publicly accessible, where available).
(Please note that precise claim language and legal status should be verified through official patent documents and databases.)
