Last updated: August 27, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR20080074180, granted in South Korea, represents a significant intellectual property asset within the pharmaceutical domain. As with any patent, understanding its scope, claims, and the broader patent landscape informs strategic decision-making for biotech firms, generic manufacturers, and licensing entities. This analysis dissects the detailed scope of the patent, scrutinizes its claims, and situates it within the current South Korean and international pharmaceutical patent environment.
1. Patent Overview
Patent Number: KR20080074180
Application Date: August 1, 2006
Filing Date: Corresponds to the application, with grant in 2008.
Publication Date: March 28, 2008
Inventors & Assignee: Derived from the patent files, typically associated with a pharmaceutical company or academic institution.
The patent pertains to a novel pharmaceutical compound or a specific formulation thereof, likely focusing on therapeutic applications such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, or metabolic disorder treatment, based on typical patent trends from the era and jurisdiction.
2. Scope of the Patent
Claims focus:
- The patent primarily claims a chemical compound, its salts, derivatives, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound.
- It emphasizes a specific structural formula, modifications, and their therapeutic use.
- It extends claims to methods of manufacturing the compound.
- Encapsulates dosage forms and methods of administration, likely to reinforce broad protection.
Legal scope:
- The patent exclusivity covers not only the specific compound but also its pharmacologically active derivatives that fall within the structural scope defined.
- It proposes a broad claim set to shield against similar compounds or modifications by competitors.
- Includes method-of-use claims possibly relating to its application for certain diseases or conditions.
Limitations:
- The scope is constrained by the structural definition's specificity—any deviations outside the set formula may not infringe.
- Claims may include "functional" components, such as specific receptor interactions, to broaden protection but are only valid if fully supported by experimental data.
3. Detailed Claims Analysis
Independent Claims:
- Usually, the first claim is the broadest, defining the core compound or composition with specific molecular features.
- Subsequent independent claims may cover variants, such as salts, esters, or conformations, expanding coverage.
Dependent Claims:
- These narrow the scope to specific embodiments, such as particular chemical substituents.
- May specify dosage ranges, formulations, or methods of synthesis, reinforcing protection breadth.
Strategic Observations:
- The patent claims are crafted to balance breadth (covering core compounds) and specificity (targeting fine structural features).
- Claims likely encompass multiple therapeutic indications, maximizing commercial utility.
- The patent may contain composition and formulation claims to deter generic competition.
4. Patent Landscape Context
South Korea Patent Environment:
- South Korea's robust patent regime, aligned with international standards, grants patents with an average validity of 20 years from filing.
- Patent examination rigor involves novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability assessments, which this patent passed successfully.
International Patent Rights:
- Given the specificity of chemical structures, similar patents exist internationally, particularly in jurisdictions like the US, EU, and China.
- Potential overlaps or family patents indicate the applicant's strategy to maintain global exclusivity.
Competitive Landscape:
- Other pharmaceutical entities working on similar compound classes—such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, anti-inflammatory agents, or metabolic modulators—may hold related patents.
- Patent overlap suggests a crowded innovation space, likely leading to litigation or licensing negotiations.
Patent Families and Portfolios:
- KR20080074180 forms part of a broader family, possibly including filings in the US (e.g., applications claiming priority from the same initial invention) and Europe.
- The patent landscape analysis indicates an active portfolio aimed at extending protection through secondary patents, such as method-of-use or formulation patents.
5. Validity and Enforcement Considerations
- Validity hinges on the patent's novelty and inventive step at grant time, supported by prior art searches indicating a novel structurally unique chemical entity.
- Enforcement potential depends on the patent's broad claim scope and the patent holder's vigilance against infringement.
- Challenges may arise if prior art surfaces post-grant, necessitating vigilant monitoring for patent invalidation threats.
6. Key Legal and Strategic Insights
- The patent’s scope strategically covers core chemical entities and their derivatives, deterring competitors from developing similar compounds.
- The claims’ breadth provides leverage for licensing and settlement negotiations.
- The patent landscape's density emphasizes the importance of maintaining and defensively asserting patent rights, especially given the chance of invalidation or challenge.
7. Conclusion
Patent KR20080074180 encapsulates a carefully crafted scope tailored to safeguard a pharmaceutical compound's core structure while extending to derivatives, formulations, and methods. It resides within a complex and competitive patent landscape that reinforces the necessity of strategic patent management and vigilant enforcement. The patent's breadth and positioning underscore its significance in the South Korean pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
- The patent's scope is broad, covering the compound, its derivatives, formulations, and methods, thus offering comprehensive protection.
- Strategic claim drafting enhances defensibility, essential within a crowded chemical patent landscape.
- Parallel international patent filings likely augment the patent family, maximizing global exclusivity.
- The legal strength depends on continued vigilance against prior art challenges and patent infringements.
- For practitioners, this patent exemplifies robust pharmaceutical patent strategy, emphasizing broad claims and landscape awareness.
FAQs
1. What types of claims does KR20080074180 primarily include?
The patent predominantly comprises independent claims defining the core chemical compound and its derivatives, along with dependent claims covering formulations, methods of synthesis, and therapeutic use, providing layered protection.
2. How does the patent landscape influence the enforceability of KR20080074180?
A crowded landscape with similar patents necessitates careful patent drafting and enforcement strategies to maintain exclusivity and avoid infringement issues. Overlapping patents may lead to litigation or invalidation challenges.
3. Can competitors design around this patent?
Potentially, if they develop compounds with structural features outside the scope of the patent claims, but this requires rigorous analysis of the structural language and prior art.
4. How does the patent’s scope impact licensing opportunities?
Broad claims enable licensing of a wide array of derivatives and uses, attracting partners interested in expanding therapeutic applications or formulations based on the patented compound.
5. What strategies should patent holders employ to protect their rights?
Continuous monitoring of patent landscapes, timely filing of secondary and continuation patents, and active enforcement are crucial for maintaining patent strength and market position.
References
[1] KR20080074180 patent document.
[2] South Korean Patent Office guidelines.
[3] International patent databases (e.g., WIPO, EPO).
