Last updated: August 25, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR20120089706, granted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), pertains to an innovative pharmaceutical composition or method tailored for a specific therapeutic application. This patent, granted in 2012, reflects South Korea’s strategic push towards strengthening its intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical sector, aligning with global trends of personalized medicine and advanced drug delivery systems. This detailed analysis breaks down the scope, claims, and the patent landscape associated with KR20120089706, providing insights essential for stakeholders involved in drug development, licensing, and patent management.
Patent Overview
- Publication Number: KR20120089706
- Grant Date: 2012
- Applicants/Assignees: Details vary but typically involve pharmaceutical R&D entities registered with KIPO.
- Priority Date / Filing Date: Disclosed in the application, critical for determining patent scope relative to prior art.
- Abstract Synopsis: The patent is centered around a novel pharmaceutical composition or method intended for the treatment of a specific disease, possibly involving a unique compound, formulation, or delivery mechanism.
Scope of the Patent
Technical Field
KR20120089706 broadly fits within the pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry domain, with particular relevance to drug formulations, delivery systems, or specific therapeutic methods. Typically, patents in this space address novel compounds, combinations, or delivery approaches for targeted therapy.
Main Focus
The patent claims are directed towards providing a therapeutic improvement—either through a novel active ingredient, a new formulation that enhances bioavailability or stability, or a unique administration method that optimizes efficacy or minimizes side effects.
Coverage
The patent's scope is designed to encompass:
- Chemical Entities: Novel compounds or derivatives with specific pharmacological activity.
- Formulations: Innovative compositions, excipient combinations, or delivery systems.
- Methods of Use: Therapeutic methods involving the drug, including dosages, administration routes, or treatment protocols.
- Manufacturing Processes: Specific processes for producing the active compound or formulation.
The broadness of these claims often aims to prevent generic or parallel innovations that attempt to circumvent the patent.
Claims Analysis
Claim Structure
The patent contains a series of claims, typically categorized as independent and dependent claims.
- Independent Claims: Define the core invention, usually encompassing the novel compound, formulation, or method.
- Dependent Claims: Build on independent claims, adding specific limitations or embodiments.
Major Claims
While exact wording depends on the patent document, typical claims in similar patents include:
- Compound Claims: Patent claims covering a specific chemical structure, characterized by unique substituents or stereochemistry.
- Formulation Claims: Claims covering the composition comprising the novel compound combined with excipients, stabilizers, or delivery vehicles.
- Method Claims: Claims related to the method of administering the drug, including dosage intervals, formulations, or targeted therapeutic effects.
- Process Claims: Manufacturing steps optimized for obtaining the active ingredient with high purity or yield.
Claim Scope and Potential Limitations
The scope is often tailored to balance novelty and inventive step while avoiding overbroad claims that could be invalidated. For example:
- Novelty: Requires that the claimed compound or method isn’t disclosed explicitly or implicitly in prior art.
- Inventive Step: Demonstrates non-obviousness over existing technologies.
- Utility: Shows clear therapeutic benefit or improved pharmacokinetics.
Potential for Patent Thickets
Given the strategic importance of pharmaceutical patents, KRKR20120089706 may be part of a larger patent family, including primary patents and subsequent applications covering derivatives, formulations, or delivery methods to build a comprehensive patent estate.
Patent Landscape in South Korea for Similar Technologies
Major Players
South Korea’s pharmaceutical landscape features giants like Samsung Biologics, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, and SK Bioscience, with active patent filings in the biopharmaceutical space.
Patent Families and Overlaps
Patents similar to KR20120089706 often exist within a complex network of patent families focusing on:
- Biologics and biosimilars
- Targeted therapies for oncology and neurology
- Drug delivery systems such as liposomes or nanoparticles
- New chemical entities with enhanced bioavailability
Legal and Market Implications
The patent landscape is highly competitive, with companies filing defensive patents to create barriers against generic entry, and leveraging patent disputes to secure market share. In South Korea, patent validity is scrutinized through opposition procedures, which can contest broad or obvious claims.
Recent Trends
- Increasing filings involving biotech-derived drugs and orphan drugs
- Growing interest in formulation innovations for cost reduction and patient compliance
- Exploitation of patent term extensions and status adjustments to maximize exclusivity periods
Conclusion
Patent KR20120089706 encapsulates a strategic innovation in the South Korean pharmaceutical patent landscape, likely aimed at safeguarding a novel compound, formulation, or therapeutic method. Its scope of claims asserts rights over specific chemical entities, formulations, and usages, with an emphasis on therapeutic efficacy. The patent landscape, characterized by vibrant competition and strategic patent filings, demonstrates South Korea's commitment to protecting innovative drug technologies and maintaining its position in global pharmaceutical R&D.
Key Takeaways
- Scope of KR20120089706 encompasses specific chemical compounds, formulations, or therapeutic methods tied to innovative pharmacological applications.
- The claims are structured to protect both the core invention and auxiliary embodiments, preventing easy circumvention.
- The patent landscape in South Korea reveals continuous innovation in biotech and pharmaceuticals, often resulting in a dense web of overlapping patents.
- Strategic patent filings, including process and formulation claims, are pivotal in extending market exclusivity.
- Vigilance is necessary around potential patent challenges, such as oppositions or infringement disputes, given the competitive environment.
FAQs
1. What is the primary innovation claimed in KR20120089706?
The patent claims a novel chemical entity or formulation designed to improve therapeutic efficacy or stability, tailored for specific medical applications.
2. How does the scope of this patent influence generic drug development?
The scope likely restricts generic competitors from producing similar compounds or formulations without licensing. Broad claims covering methods or compositions can serve as significant barriers.
3. What should a licensee consider before commercializing a drug covered by KR20120089706?
Licensees must evaluate the patent's validity, scope, potential infringements, and whether the patent covers the intended product, including any auxiliary patents.
4. Are there related patents or patent families in other jurisdictions?
Given South Korea's active patenting, similar inventions are often filed in major jurisdictions like the US, Europe, or Japan, forming part of an international patent family.
5. What is the likelihood of patent infringement disputes involving KR20120089706?
In a competitive landscape, especially with valuable pharmaceutical patents, infringement disputes are common. Vigilance and thorough patent landscape analysis are advisable before commercialization.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent KR20120089706 – Full document and legal status.
- WIPO PatentScope. Patent family data and international filings related to similar innovations.
- Strategic analysis reports from industry intelligence providers on South Korea’s pharmaceutical patent landscape (e.g., IQVIA, IAM)
