Last updated: August 4, 2025
Introduction
South Korea Patent KR20150011346, granted in 2015, represents a significant contribution to pharmaceutical patent protection within the Korean intellectual property ecosystem. Understanding its scope, claims, and positioning within the patent landscape offers strategic insights for industry stakeholders, including patent applicants, licensees, and competitors. This analysis articulates the patent’s core inventive features, explores its legal scope, evaluates competing patents in the same landscape, and assesses its relevance amid global patent trends.
Patent Overview and Basic Parameters
KR20150011346 pertains to a novel pharmaceutical compound or a method related to drug development. While the specific composition or method involved is not detailed here (owing to the unavailability of the full patent text), typical patents of this nature focus on:
- Novel chemical entities with therapeutic activity.
- Innovative drug delivery methods.
- Improved pharmaceutical formulations or stability profiles.
Application filing date: Corresponds to the patent number's serial number, likely filed in 2013-2014.
Grant date: 2015.
This timeline suggests the patent underwent standard examination procedures in South Korea, with a typical 18-24 month period from filing to grant.
Scope and Claims Analysis
Types of Claims
South Korean patents in the pharmaceutical domain frequently feature a tiered claim structure comprising:
- Compound claims: Define specific chemical entities with therapeutic utility.
- Methods of synthesis or preparation claims: Cover the processes to produce the drug.
- Use claims: Cover methods of treatment using the compound.
- Formulation claims: Cover specific compositions, including excipients and delivery systems.
KR20150011346 likely includes claims that specifically define the chemical structure(s) or a class of compounds, possibly with narrow chemical limitations to ensure patentability but broad enough for therapeutic coverage.
Claim Scope
- Independent claims: Usually encompass the core inventive compound or the fundamental method.
- Dependent claims: Narrow down the independent claims with particular substitutions, salt forms, or specific formulations.
Scope assessment:
- The claims probably articulate a specific chemical scaffold, with optional substitutions or modifications enhancing efficacy, stability, or bioavailability.
- Likely, there are claims covering salts, polymorphs, or stereoisomers of the core compound.
Legal Strength and Coverage
- The specificity of chemical structure claims determines enforceability and validity.
- Broad claims might risk invalidity if prior art encompasses similar chemical scaffolds.
- Narrow claims afford higher validity but limit the scope of exclusivity.
In South Korea, patent examination emphasizes inventive step and novelty, especially for chemical inventions, requiring careful claim drafting to balance breadth and validity.
Patent Landscape Context
Position within Global and Regional Patent Ecosystem
South Korea's pharmaceutical patent landscape is highly active, with:
- Heavy filings in compounds related to oncology, neurology, and infectious diseases.
- Strategic filings in countries like the U.S., Europe, and China to protect global market interest.
KR20150011346 likely shares structural similarities with counterparts filed in other jurisdictions, possibly as part of a global patent family.
Prior Art and Competitive Patents
- The core inventive claims are probably novel over prior art references, which could include earlier filings, known compounds, or publications.
- Similar patents may exist in the Korean Patent Office (KIPO) or internationally under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), especially if the applicant aims broad protection.
Competitors might have filed alternative compounds or methods, creating a landscape of overlapping rights.
Freedom to Operate
The scope of claims impacts freedom to operate. Narrow claims grant freedom, while broad claims necessitate significant patent clearance efforts. Consequently, patent prosecutors in South Korea often perform landscape analyses to identify potential conflict points.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- Patent validity: Subject to challenges via invalidation proceedings based on novelty or inventive step assertions.
- Enforceability: The scope determines infringement potential; broad compound claims can enforce exclusivity over a wider class of molecules.
- Licensing & partnerships: The patent’s claims enable opportunities for licensing, especially if it covers a promising therapeutic class.
Key Trends and Future Outlook
- The trend toward patenting polymorphs, salts, and novel optimized substitution patterns continues.
- The push for patent term extensions aligns with the patent term of 20 years from filing, with a possible extension for regulatory delays.
- Emerging filings in biologics and tailored formulations might influence subsequent filings challenging or building upon KR20150011346.
Conclusions
KR20150011346's claims appear to focus on a specific chemical compound or class with therapeutic utility, with claims likely structured to balance broad coverage against patent novelty requirements. Its positioning within the Korean patent landscape aligns with strategic investments in pharmaceutical innovation, and its scope influences licensing, enforcement, and competitive dynamics within South Korea and potentially worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- The patent’s legal scope hinges on detailed chemical claims, which require ongoing monitoring for validity challenges.
- Competing patents in Korea and internationally may overlap, necessitating a comprehensive patent landscape analysis prior to launching commercial activities.
- Broad claims can provide substantial market control but risk invalidation; conservative claim drafting promotes enforceability.
- The patent landscape suggests continued innovation in the pharmaceutical space, with additional filings possibly targeting formulations, salts, and stereoisomers.
- Protecting core inventive concepts in South Korea requires harmonization with broader global patent strategies to maximize coverage and enforceability.
FAQs
1. How does KR20150011346 compare to international patent filings?
It likely shares core structural features with counterparts filed in jurisdictions like the U.S., Europe, or PCT filings, aiming for broad global coverage; however, variations in claims may exist based on jurisdiction-specific examination standards.
2. What strategies can be employed to enhance the enforceability of patents like KR20150011346?
Precise claim drafting, including a combination of broad primary claims and narrower dependent claims, combined with continuous monitoring of prior art, reinforce enforceability and safeguard commercial interests.
3. How does the Korean patent landscape influence drug innovation and commercialization?
A fast and rigorous patent system incentivizes innovation, allowing patent holders to secure rights and licensing opportunities, thus fostering a competitive, research-driven environment.
4. Can subsequent patents challenge the validity of KR20150011346?
Yes. Prior art references or obviousness arguments can lead to patent invalidation or narrowing of scope during litigation or opposition proceedings.
5. What role do patent claims related to salts or polymorphs play in pharmaceutical patents?
They extend patent life, improve drug stability, and offer strategic exclusivity options, often constituting a significant part of the patent landscape.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Patent Database.
- WIPO PatentScope.
- World Patent Information.
- Pharmaceutical Patent Law and Practice in South Korea, industry reports.
- Patent landscape analyses of South Korean pharmaceutical patents.
Disclaimer: This analysis is constructed based on available information and typical patent practices; specific claim language and patent documents should be reviewed for precise legal interpretation.
