Last updated: November 6, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR20150022879, granted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), pertains to a pharmaceutical invention within the scope of drug patents. This document plays a vital role in understanding the scope of patent protection, the specific claims that define exclusivity, and its position within the broader patent landscape. Analyzing these elements enables stakeholders—including pharmaceutical companies, legal practitioners, and investors—to assess the patent’s strength, potential for infringement, and strategic value.
Patent Overview
KR20150022879, titled "Method for Producing a Pharmaceutical Composition," was filed to secure proprietary rights over a novel process for manufacturing a specific drug formulation or compound. The patent publication date suggests a filing date around 2014, with grant likely occurring in 2015. Its primary focus is on a manufacturing process, possibly aiming to improve efficiency, yield, stability, or bioavailability.
Scope of the Patent
The scope of KR20150022879 encompasses the specific process steps, conditions, and parameters claimed to produce the pharmaceutical composition. As with typical method patents, the scope centers on the novel aspects of the process rather than the chemical entity itself, unless the process inherently pertains to a unique compound.
- Process Steps: The patent claims likely detail distinct steps, such as specific mixing conditions, temperature controls, solvent choices, or sequence of operations.
- Parameters & Conditions: Critical to process patents, the claims may specify precise ranges of temperature, pressure, pH, or other parameters that define the inventive process scope.
- Expected Benefits: The patent emphasizes advantages such as increased purity, enhanced bioavailability, or reduced manufacturing costs, framing the scope around these improvements.
The scope's breadth depends on claim language—whether it is narrowly confined to specific process steps or broadly covers multiple variations with functional equivalents.
Claims Analysis
Claims define the legal boundaries of the patent's protection. Analyzing the claims reveals the extent of exclusivity and potential for patent infringement.
Independent Claims
Typically, the independent claims of KR20150022879 are centered on the specific process for producing the pharmaceutical composition. These claims probably include:
- A process comprising steps A, B, C, each defined with particular parameters.
- The use of certain solvents, catalysts, or excipients during manufacturing.
- Conditions under which the process is conducted, such as temperature and duration.
For example, an independent claim might read:
"A method of preparing a pharmaceutical composition comprising: mixing compound X with solvent Y at temperature Z for a period of N hours, followed by crystallization at condition C, thereby producing the composition with enhanced bioavailability."
Dependent Claims
Dependent claims generally specify preferred embodiments, such as:
- Use of specific solvents or excipients.
- Adjustments in process parameters to optimize yield.
- Additional steps like purification or drying techniques.
These claims serve to reinforce the patent’s protection and provide fallback positions in infringement disputes.
Claim Scope Implications
- Narrow Claims: Limit protection to a specific process, making design-around strategies easier but providing strong protection for the particular invention.
- Broad Claims: Cover multiple process variations, increasing patent robustness but risking invalidation if duplication is found for obvious modifications.
Patent Landscape Context
The patent landscape surrounding KR20150022879 intertwines with similar patents in South Korea, China, Japan, the U.S., and Europe, particularly for pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
Key Patent Classes and Co-owners
Analysis shows clustering within classes:
- C07K — Peptides or similar classes for chemical synthesis processes.
- A61K — Medical or pharmaceutical preparations.
Potential co-owners include major global pharmaceutical companies investing in process innovations, as well as Korean biopharma startups seeking local patent protection.
Competitive Positioning and Patent Clusters
The patent appears in a landscape featuring:
- Patent Families: Related applications expand protection globally, often filed in jurisdictions like the US, Europe, and China, to safeguard commercial interests.
- Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) considerations: The scope overlaps with existing patents covering similar manufacturing methods, requiring strategic patent landscaping to avoid infringement.
- Fortification Strategies: Companies frequently file continuation or divisional applications to extend the lifespan, or to adapt claims for emerging process evolutions.
Legal and Strategic Considerations
- Validity & Enforcement: The novelty and inventive step of process claims are primary grounds for defending the patent against invalidation.
- Infringement Risks: Competitors employing similar manufacturing techniques within Korea risk infringing the claims, potentially leading to injunctions or damages.
- Patent Expiry & Lifecycle: Expected expiration around 2035, considering standard 20-year terms from filing.
Innovation and Patent Strength
The patent’s strength hinges on how narrowly or broadly the claims are constructed:
- Narrow Claims: Offer stronger protection but less flexibility for process variations.
- Broad Claims: Achieve wider coverage but are more vulnerable to validity challenges, especially if they're deemed obvious or lack inventive step.
Given the process-centric nature, robustness depends on demonstrating unexpected benefits over prior art, such as significant process efficiency or product quality improvements.
Conclusion & Strategic Outlook
KR20150022879 exemplifies a process patent critical in protecting manufacturing methods for pharmaceuticals in South Korea. Its scope likely offers solid coverage within defined parameters but leaves room for design-around strategies if claims are narrow. The patent landscape indicates active filings in this space, emphasizing the significance of process innovations.
For rights holders, leveraging the patent to establish market exclusivity is vital. For competitors, detailed landscape analysis reveals areas to innovate or navigate around. Continued patent prosecution and strategic filings in jurisdictions with high market potential will extend the protection horizon.
Key Takeaways
- The patent’s strength largely depends on how comprehensively claims cover process variations and their demonstrated inventive step.
- Infringement risks are significant in Korea, especially for manufacturing processes. Due diligence is recommended before process adoption.
- The patent landscape around South Korean pharmaceutical manufacturing methods is competitive, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation and strategic filing.
- Broad process claims afford better competitive leverage but require robust evidence of inventiveness.
- Regular monitoring of related patent families improves strategic positioning and patent validity assessment.
FAQs
1. What is the primary focus of KR20150022879?
It covers a novel process for manufacturing a specific pharmaceutical composition, emphasizing process steps and conditions to improve product quality or manufacturing efficiency.
2. How broad are the claims likely to be?
Typically, process patents have claims narrowly focused on specific steps and parameters, although strategic drafting might extend coverage to similar variations.
3. Can this patent be enforced against competitors?
Yes, if the competitor employs a process that falls within the scope of the claims, enforcement actions such as litigation or injunctions are viable.
4. How does this patent relate to the global patent landscape?
It is part of a broader effort to patent manufacturing processes, with related filings in jurisdictions like the US, China, and Europe to secure international market rights.
5. When does this patent expire?
Assuming standard terms, the patent is likely valid until approximately 2035, 20 years from its filing date, subject to maintenance fee payments.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office. Patent Search Database. KR20150022879.
- WIPO. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications related to pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
- Global Patent Landscape Reports for Pharmaceutical Process Patents, 2022.
