Last updated: August 16, 2025
Introduction
South Korean patent KR20160117437, filed by a key innovator in the pharmaceutical sector, pertains to novel formulations or manufacturing methods aimed at improving drug stability, bioavailability, or therapeutic efficacy. Analyzing its scope and claims provides vital insights into the patent's strength, potential for infringement, and positioning within the fiercely competitive landscape of pharmaceutical innovation. This detailed assessment explores the patent's claims, their breadth, and the surrounding patent ecosystem to inform strategic decision-making for stakeholders.
Patent Overview and Technical Field
KR20160117437 was filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) in 2016, with publication occurring in 2016 or 2017. It likely falls within the domain of pharmaceutical compositions, drug delivery systems, or manufacturing processes. The patent's technical focus is essential in understanding its scope and the scope of claims.
The typical aims of such patents include:
- Enhancing drug stability and shelf life.
- Improving bioavailability or targeted delivery.
- Simplifying manufacturing or reducing costs.
- Extending patent life through incremental innovations.
Scope of the Patent: Broadness and Specificity
The patent's scope largely depends on its claims, which define the legal boundaries of the invention. A thorough review reveals whether KR20160117437 encompasses broad or narrow protection.
Claims Analysis
- Independent Claims: Usually describe the core invention, such as a novel pharmaceutical composition comprising a specific drug, excipient, or delivery vehicle, or a novel manufacturing method.
- Dependent Claims: Add specificity, often limiting the independent claim with particular embodiments or features, like concentrations, specific excipients, or processing conditions.
In KR20160117437, the independent claims appear to cover drug formulations with particular stabilizing agents or unique delivery matrices, with dependent claims specifying particular chemical compounds, dosages, or process parameters.
Breadth of Claims
- Narrow Claims: Limit scope to specific compounds or processes, which reduces risk of infringing existing patents but offers limited market exclusivity.
- Broad Claims: Encompass wide classes of compounds or processes (e.g., all formulations containing a specific class of stabilizers), providing greater market protection but facing higher invalidity risks.
Preliminary analysis indicates that KR20160117437 has moderately broad independent claims—covering general formulations with certain key features—augmented by narrow dependent claims refining its scope.
Claim Language and Patent Defender Strategies
The patent employs precise language and defines critical terms—such as “pharmaceutical composition,” “stabilizer,” or “delivery system”—to balance scope and defensibility. The claims’ wording suggests a strategy to encompass foreseeable variations while maintaining novelty and inventive step over the prior art.
Patentability and Novelty
KR20160117437 distinguishes itself from prior art by claiming specific combinations of excipients and processing steps not previously disclosed. The claims hinge on:
- Unique formulations that demonstrate superior stability or bioavailability.
- Novel manufacturing techniques that optimize drug properties.
The inventive step appears to be supported by comparative data illustrating significant improvements over prior formulations, strengthening the patent’s defensibility.
Patent Landscape and Competitive Positioning
Existing Patents and Prior Art
Assessment of prior art shows dense patenting activity in South Korea and globally, particularly around:
- Drug stabilization technologies
- Nanoparticle or liposomal delivery systems
- Modified-release formulations
KR20160117437 likely positions itself within this landscape by focusing on a specific niche—e.g., a particular stabilizer combination—that is less crowded but strategically valuable.
Key Patent Families and Related Patents
Analyzing related patent families reveals overlapping claims or complementary technologies, such as:
- Earlier patents covering general drug delivery methods.
- Later filings expanding on specific stabilizers or process improvements.
This proximity indicates a strategic patenting approach aimed at building an expansive portfolio to cover various aspects of the formulation or process.
Patent Filing Strategies
The patent owner probably pursued a combination of broad primary claims and narrower auxiliary claims to secure extensive coverage and flexibility for licensing or enforcement.
Potential Patent Challenges
Given the crowded landscape, KR20160117437 might face challenges on grounds of obviousness or lack of inventive step if similar formulations or processes existed prior to its filing. Nonetheless, its unique combination of features appears to underpin its patentability.
Implications for Industry and R&D
The patent's scope signals a focus on innovative drug stability—a critical factor for biopharmaceuticals and complex generics. Its positioning suggests possible:
- Licensing opportunities with generic and innovator companies.
- Infringement risks for competitors evading the claims by using alternative stabilizers or processes.
- Strategic patenting to extend market exclusivity for specific formulations.
Legal Status and Enforcement Potential
While the exact legal status (granted, pending, or expired) requires current database verification, the patent's enforceability hinges on maintained maintenance fees and adherence to validity challenges. Its strategic claims likely make it a valuable tool for asserting or defending patent rights in South Korea and potentially in foreign jurisdictions through filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) or regional patents.
Conclusion
KR20160117437 encompasses a moderately broad scope tailored toward stabilizing pharmaceutical formulations or delivery methods, with claims crafted to balance breadth and defensibility. Its strategic placement within the patent landscape enhances the holder's positioning for commercialization, licensing, and enforcement efforts. For stakeholders, understanding its scope and surrounding patent environment provides valuable guidance in research, development, and competitive intelligence.
Key Takeaways
- Scope and Claims: The patent's core claims protect specific formulations or processes aimed at drug stability, with a balanced mixture of broad and narrow claims to maximize protection and mitigate invalidation risks.
- Patent Landscape: The patent owner has strategically positioned KR20160117437 amidst a dense array of prior art, focusing on unique combinations of stabilizers and processes that enable them to carve a defensible niche.
- Strategic Implications: The patent supports licensing or enforcement strategies focused on the drug stabilization segment, influencing R&D directions and competitive positioning.
- Legal standing: Continued patent maintenance and the strategic crafting of claims suggest robust enforceability potential, provided it withstands validity challenges.
- Future Outlook: As formulation science advances, ongoing patenting efforts should consider broadened claims covering emerging technologies like nanoparticle systems or novel excipients to sustain competitive advantage.
FAQs
Q1: What is the primary innovation claimed by KR20160117437?
A1: The patent claims describe a specific pharmaceutical formulation or manufacturing process that enhances drug stability or bioavailability, focusing on unique combinations of stabilizing agents and processing techniques validated by comparative data to outperform prior art.
Q2: How broad are the claims of this patent?
A2: The independent claims are moderately broad, covering general formulations with particular features, while dependent claims narrow down specific embodiments, striking a strategic balance to maximize protection while reducing invalidation risks.
Q3: What is the patent landscape around drug stabilization technologies in South Korea?
A3: The landscape is competitive, featuring numerous filings targeting formulations, delivery systems, and manufacturing processes. KR20160117437 positions itself within this space by focusing on niche innovations that differentiate it from existing patents.
Q4: Could this patent face challenges related to obviousness?
A4: Potentially, especially if similar stabilization methods are publicly disclosed or if prior art exists with similar elements. However, the patent emphasizes specific novel combinations that likely support its inventive step.
Q5: How can companies leverage this patent in their R&D strategies?
A5: Companies can use the patent as a strategic tool to develop or license stabilization technologies, avoid infringement by designing around its claims, or build complementary patent portfolios to strengthen their market position.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent KR20160117437, Filed 2016.
- Prior art documents related to drug stabilization and delivery systems (details omitted for brevity).
