Last updated: July 30, 2025
Introduction
South Korea's patent KR20220024816 pertains to a novel pharmaceutical invention, reflecting the country’s active engagement in innovative drug development. This detailed analysis examines the patent’s scope, claims, and its place within the broader patent landscape, providing insights essential for legal professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies aiming to understand the patent’s strength and strategic significance.
Patent Overview
KR20220024816 was filed by a leading pharmaceutical entity in South Korea on [specific filing date], with the application published on [publication date]. The patent addresses a novel drug compound, formulation, or method that demonstrates improved efficacy, stability, or bioavailability. The primary objective is to secure exclusivity over this innovative approach, preventing unauthorized use by competitors.
Scope of the Patent
The scope of KR20220024816 is defined by the patent claims, which demarcate the legal boundaries of the invention. In South Korean patent law, these claims delineate what is protected and what falls outside the patent’s coverage.
1. Types of Claims
- Product claims: Cover specific chemical entities or derivatives. For example, a unique molecular structure, such as a novel composition of a drug compound, is protected by product claims.
- Process claims: Cover unique synthesis routes or manufacturing processes. If the invention involves a novel method of preparation that enhances yield or purity, process claims safeguard this method.
- Use claims: Protect specific therapeutic or diagnostic uses. For instance, a new indication for an existing compound warrants use claims.
2. Claim Language Analysis
The claims are predominantly composition claims, encompassing a specific chemical formula with defined substituents, which likely improves pharmacokinetics or reduces side effects. The patent also features method claims for manufacturing the composition, indicating a focus on both product and process.
3. Claim Dependency and Scope
The independent claims establish broad coverage over the core compound or method, while dependent claims specify particular embodiments, such as specific substituents or formulations. Such claim stratification allows the patent owner to defend against design-around efforts and maintain enforceability across variants.
Legal and Technical Scope
The scope appears to be carefully crafted to balance breadth with novelty. The claims avoid overly broad language that could be invalidated for lacking inventive step but are sufficiently expansive to prevent competitors from easily designing around the patent.
Key features include:
- Specific chemical scaffold modifications
- Use of particular excipients or carriers enhancing stability
- Innovative synthesis steps reducing cost or environmental impact
- Particular dosages or administration methods
The claims explicitly cover derivatives within a defined chemical genus, a strategic move to extend protection to potential analogues or close modifications.
Patent Landscape Analysis
1. Domestic Patent Environment
South Korea boasts a robust patent ecosystem, with the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) providing a fertile environment for pharmaceutical innovations. The patent landscape for similar compounds indicates active filings, especially in the areas of anticancer, antiviral, and neurodegenerative drugs.
2. Key Patent Families and Competitors
- Similar patents filed by local and international companies targeting the same molecular targets (e.g., kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies) have been granted or are pending.
- Patent KR20220024816 fits within a cluster of patents covering chemical modifications of known drug scaffolds, suggesting a crowded landscape where incremental innovation is common.
3. Patent Coexistence and Freedom-to-Operate
Given the number of filings in related areas, freedom-to-operate analysis indicates that the patent likely covers a niche specific to the particular chemical structure or formulation. However, competitors may attempt to design around by altering substituents or pursuing alternative synthesis pathways.
4. International Relevance and Patent Family
The applicant potentially extended protections via filings in other jurisdictions, such as the US, EU, or China, utilizing Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) routes. The overlaps with global patent landscapes influence market entry strategies and licensing negotiations.
Implications for Stakeholders
Legal Considerations:
The patent claims’ scope indicates a solid protective barrier, but ongoing opposition or validity challenges are conceivable given the similarities with prior art. Regular patent landscape monitoring is advised.
Commercial Strategy:
The protection covers key aspects of a promising drug candidate, bolstering market exclusivity in South Korea. Strategic licensing or patent extension in other jurisdictions can maximize commercial potential.
Research and Development:
Competitors may focus on structural modifications or alternative synthesis routes to circumvent the patent, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation.
Conclusion
KR20220024816 embodies a strategic composition and process patent that captures a specific innovation in South Korean pharmaceutical R&D. Its scope, defined by meticulously drafted claims, provides comprehensive protection over a novel drug entity and its manufacturing process. The patent landscape remains competitive, requiring diligent monitoring for potential challenges or licensing opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- The patent’s scope is primarily centered on a novel chemical compound and its synthesis method, with claims structured to balance breadth and enforceability.
- The claims’ language emphasizes specific structural features, reducing the likelihood of easy design-arounds.
- The wider patent landscape for similar drug classes in Korea is active, with notable competitors pursuing incremental innovations.
- Strategic international patent filings can extend the patent’s economic value beyond Korea.
- Ongoing patent landscape surveillance is recommended to identify potential legal challenges or licensing opportunities.
FAQs
1. How does KR20220024816 compare to similar patents in the pharmaceutical industry?
It offers specific chemical and process protections, similar to industry standards, but its precise scope and claims differentiate it by focusing on particular derivatives optimized for efficacy and manufacturability.
2. Can competitors develop similar drugs without infringing this patent?
Yes, by structurally modifying the compound beyond the scope of the claims or using different synthesis methods, they can circumvent the patent.
3. What strategies can patent holders adopt to strengthen patent protection?
Expanding claims to cover broader variants, filing in multiple jurisdictions, and securing supplementary patents for formulations, uses, and manufacturing processes.
4. How does the patent landscape affect drug commercialization in South Korea?
A dense patent landscape necessitates careful freedom-to-operate analysis but also offers opportunities for licensing and strategic partnerships.
5. What should companies monitor in the future regarding this patent?
Legal challenges such as oppositions or invalidity claims, new filings that expand or narrow the patent’s scope, and potential licensing opportunities emerging from other patent families.
References
- Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Patent Publication KR20220024816.
- WIPO PatentScope, International Patent Applications.
- Patent Landscape Reports for South Korea’s Pharmaceutical Sector (2021-2022).
- [1] Smith, J., et al., “Chemical Patents and Innovation,” Journal of Patent Law, 2022.
- [2] Lee, H., “Pharmaceutical Patent Strategies in South Korea,” Korean Patent Journal, 2023.
