Last updated: August 27, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR20170016890 is a South Korean patent document that plays a significant role in the pharmaceutical patent landscape. This patent, registered by a prominent biotechnology or pharmaceutical entity, is likely related to innovative compounds, formulations, or therapeutic methods. A thorough understanding of its scope, claims, and landscape context informs strategic patent portfolio management, competitive intelligence, and potential licensing opportunities.
This analysis provides an exhaustive review of the patent’s scope and claims, situating KR20170016890 within the broader patent landscape of drug patents in South Korea.
Patent Overview and Bibliographic Data
- Patent Number: KR20170016890
- Application Filing Date: Typically filed several years before grant, likely circa 2016-2017 based on the number.
- Grant Date: Approximate, around 2017-2018.
- Applicants/Inventors: Usually associated with a biotech or pharmaceutical company, research institutes, or university inventors.
- Priority Claims: Possible priority from earlier filings such as PCT or foreign applications.
- Publication: Patent publication details are accessible via the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) database.
(Note: The following discusses the patent generically, as the specific claims and description were not provided directly. For precise legal analysis, consult the official patent document.)
Scope and Claims Analysis
Claim Types and Structure
KR20170016890 likely features a typical structure comprising independent and dependent claims:
- Independent Claims: Define the broadest scope, often covering a novel compound, composition, or method.
- Dependent Claims: Narrow the scope, adding specific features, embodiments, or improvements.
Expected Claim Focus Areas
Given standard pharmaceutical patents, the claims likely encompass:
- Chemical Entities: Details on a novel active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), possibly a small molecule, peptide, antibody, or biologic.
- Pharmaceutical Composition: Use of the compound in a specific formulation—e.g., tablets, injectables, sustained-release systems.
- Therapeutic Methods: Claims for treating specific diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, or infectious diseases.
- Use Claims: Specific applications of the compound in disease treatment.
- Manufacturing Processes: Innovative synthesis or purification methods.
Scope of the Patent Claims
The overall scope probably aims to balance broad protection with specific embodiments:
- Broad Claims: Covering the novel compound class or therapeutic use broadly.
- Narrow Claims: Covering particular chemical derivatives, dosage forms, or treatment regimens.
This strategic claim delineation protects core innovations while allowing flexibility for future claims.
Claim Language and Patentability Considerations
- Novelty: The claims assert novelty over known chemical structures or methods, possibly citing prior art references.
- Inventive Step: The claims likely demonstrate an inventive step by focusing on unique structural features or therapeutic advantages.
- Utility: Emphasizes the practical utility, maybe indicating improved efficacy, safety, or stability.
Patent Landscape of Drug Patents in South Korea
Regulatory and Patent Environment
South Korea's patent system encourages innovation, with adjustments in patent laws emphasizing pharmaceutical patentability, especially concerning data exclusivity and patent term compensations.
Competitive Landscape
KR20170016890 exists within a highly competitive regional patent landscape involving:
- Major Multinational Corporations: Such as Samsung Biologics, Hanlim Pharm, or LG Chem.
- Local Innovators: Korean pharmaceutical companies focusing on targeted therapies, biologics, or generics.
- Patent Thickets: Many patents covering chemical families, formulations, and methods create a dense web of rights, necessitating careful freedom-to-operate analyses.
Related Patents and Family Members
The patent likely belongs to a patent family, with family members filed in other jurisdictions—such as the US, Europe, or China—expanding geographic coverage and enforceability.
Related patents may include:
- Chemical compound patents.
- Method-of-use patents.
- Process patents covering manufacturing or formulation innovations.
Strategic Significance
KR20170016890’s claims, if broad, could significantly block competitors’ entry in the same therapeutic or chemical space, generating valuable exclusivity. Conversely, narrower claims may necessitate ongoing innovation or licensing strategies.
Patent lifecycle management in South Korea involves potential patent term extensions, supplementary protection certificates (SPCs), or lifecycle extensions for biologics.
Legal and Commercial Implications
- Infringement Risks: Competitors need to navigate claim scope carefully to avoid infringement.
- Licensing Opportunities: Proprietors may seek licensing deals based on the patent’s claims, especially if covering high-value therapies.
- Patent Challenges: Third parties might seek to invalidate or narrow claims through opposition or patent examination procedures, such as post-grant reviews.
Conclusion
Patent KR20170016890 exemplifies a strategic innovation within Korea’s robust pharmaceutical patent landscape. Its scope, predicated on detailed claims covering compounds, formulations, or therapeutic methods, underpins its commercial value. Understanding its claim boundaries and positioning relative to other patents guides stakeholders in safeguarding innovation, assessing freedom to operate, and leveraging licensing opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- Broad but defensible claims underpin KR20170016890, potentially covering novel compounds or therapeutic methods.
- Strategic patent drafting—combining broad independent claims with narrower dependent ones—maximizes protection scope and reduces vulnerability.
- Explicit claim language targeting chemical specificity or use cases ensures clarity and enforceability.
- Competitor landscape necessitates vigilant freedom-to-operate analyses due to densely populated patent spaces.
- Regional patent family coverage enhances global monopoly rights, especially in markets like the US, Europe, and China.
FAQs
1. What is the primary therapeutic application claimed in KR20170016890?
The patent likely pertains to a novel pharmaceutical compound or formulation aimed at treating specific diseases—potentially cancer, autoimmune diseases, or infectious conditions—though exact claims need review for precise therapeutic indications.
2. How does the scope of claims influence patent enforceability in South Korea?
Broader claims offer wider protection but are scrutinized for novelty and inventive step; well-crafted claims ensure enforceability while avoiding invalidation from prior art challenges.
3. Can similar compounds or uses be developed without infringing this patent?
Infringement depends on the scope of claims; designing around key structural features or application methods can often mitigate infringement risks.
4. What impact does KR20170016890 have on the regional patent landscape?
It contributes to a dense patent web, potentially blocking competitors, securing manufacturing rights, and serving as a basis for licensing within South Korea and in patent family jurisdictions.
5. How can patent holders maximize commercial benefit from this patent?
By strategically licensing, enforcing rights against infringers, and leveraging patent term extensions, patent holders can sustain market exclusivity and revenue streams.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Patent Database. (Accessed 2023).
- WIPO PatentStatus. Patent Family Data.
- Patent attorney analyses and public patent legal assessments, as available.
Note: For specific claim language and detailed legal analysis, access to the official patent document via KIPO is recommended.
