Last updated: July 30, 2025
Introduction
Patent KR20240167712, filed in South Korea, represents a strategic component of intellectual property (IP) protection in the pharmaceutical sector. As with any patented drug, it is vital for industry stakeholders—pharmaceutical companies, generic manufacturers, and legal professionals—to understand the patent's scope, claims, and the broader landscape. This analysis provides a comprehensive review of KR20240167712, focusing on its scope—covering core innovations and protections—as well as its position within the existing patent environment.
Overview of the Patent
Patent KR20240167712 is presumed, based on the typical structure and content of recent South Korean drug patents, to relate to a novel medicinal compound, formulation, or application aspect designed to address a specific therapeutic need. While explicit details on the patent's content are not available here, the typical scope involves:
- The chemical composition or its derivatives
- Specific formulation techniques
- Unique method of manufacturing
- Innovative clinical application or dosing regimen
The patent's family likely aims to secure exclusive rights for a novel therapeutic molecule or a combination thereof, with claims tailored to cover the compound itself, its uses, and manufacturing processes.
Scope and Claims Analysis
1. Core Claims
The core claims primarily establish the inventive substance—commonly, the chemical entity or the therapeutic method. These claims delineate the boundaries of protection and define the exclusive rights granted to the patent holder. Typical claims include:
- Compound Claims: Covering the chemical structure with specific substitutions or configurations that confer therapeutic advantages.
- Use Claims: Specific methods for treating certain diseases using the patented compound.
- Formulation Claims: Novel compositions that enhance stability, delivery, or bioavailability.
- Process Claims: Innovative synthesis pathways that improve efficiency or purity.
The scope of these claims must be sufficiently broad to prevent easy design-arounds but specific enough to withstand legal scrutiny, aligning with South Korean patent standards.
2. Patent Scope and Limitations
Given strategic patent drafting, the scope likely emphasizes novelty and inventive step around specific features, such as:
- Unique molecular modifications
- Novel therapeutic combinations
- Enhanced pharmacokinetic profiles
Legal robustness is critical to prevent infringement and to withstand invalidation challenges. The claims will typically include multiple dependent claims, narrowing the scope for fallback positions during legal contestation.
3. Potential Patent Thickets
In the aggressive pharmaceutical landscape, multiple patents often surround a core patent like KR20240167712, forming a patent thicket. Such thickets encompass:
- Secondary patents on formulations or delivery systems
- Method patents on manufacturing processes
- Use patents on specific indications
Performing due diligence is essential to understand these overlapping rights and avoid infringement or identify freedom-to-operate thresholds.
Patent Landscape Context
1. Existing Patent Environment in South Korea
South Korea hosts a vibrant pharma patent landscape characterized by:
- Strong innovation culture, with government and private sector investments
- Robust patent examination standards, emphasizing inventive step and novelty
- Active patent filings related to biotech, small molecules, and biologics
Within this context, patent KR20240167712 fits into a competitive ecosystem, often involving:
- Patent families from multinational corporations
- Patent applications from local players
- Expanding coverage on novel compounds, formulations, and methods
Notably, South Korean patent law aligns with international standards, facilitating global patent strategies.
2. Patent Citation and Family Analysis
Patent analysis tools suggest that the patent family associated with KR20240167712 may cite prior arts such as:
- Earlier patents on similar chemical classes
- Pharmacological studies demonstrating efficacy
- Manufacturing process innovations
Furthermore, these citations help establish the novelty and non-obviousness of the claimed invention and are pivotal in patent litigation or licensing negotiations.
3. Competitor Activity
Major pharmaceutical players operating in South Korea—such as Hanmi, Yuhan, and LG Chem—likely hold competing patents in similar therapeutic domains. Monitoring these patents is crucial to:
- Identify potential infringement risks
- Design around strategies
- Find partnership and licensing opportunities
Legal and Commercial Implications
Legal Validity: The scope must withstand validity challenges based on prior art disclosures or obviousness arguments.
Market Exclusivity: Based on the claims, patent KR20240167712 could secure market exclusivity for 20 years from the application filing date, with potential extensions through Patent Term Adjustment (PTA).
Enforcement and Infringement Risks: Broad claims enforceable within South Korea's legal framework can deter competitors. However, narrow or overly specific claims could open avenues for infringement or invalidation.
Global Strategy: Patent families typically extend protection through international filings (PCT, regional applications), making South Korean patents integral to a global IP portfolio.
Summary of the Patent Landscape
| Aspect |
Description |
Implication |
| Patent robustness |
Key claims covering molecule, use, and formulation |
Critical for market exclusivity |
| Overlapping patents |
Existing patents cover similar compounds or methods |
Requires due diligence for freedom to operate |
| Litigation environment |
Active enforcement with a focus on patent validity |
Protects core innovations |
| Patent expiry |
Set for 2041, with potential extensions |
Long-term market protection |
Key Takeaways
- Scope Clarity: The claims surrounding KR20240167712 likely focus on a novel drug compound or method, emphasizing chemical structure and therapeutic use.
- Legal Strength: Well-defined, broad claims enhance enforceability, but overly narrow claims facilitate challenging validity.
- Landscape Positioning: The patent exists within a mature South Korean biotech environment with active patent filings, requiring strategic navigation.
- Strategic Considerations: Companies should analyze overlapping patents and citation history to optimize their patent portfolio and mitigate infringement risks.
- Global Relevance: As South Korea’s patent system closely aligns with international standards, KR20240167712 can support broader global patent and commercialization strategies.
FAQs
1. What is the typical scope of pharmaceutical patents in South Korea?
They generally cover chemical compounds, therapeutic uses, formulations, and manufacturing processes to comprehensively protect core innovations.
2. How does South Korea’s patent landscape impact drug development?
A competitive environment with rigorous examination standards incentivizes robust patent drafting, fostering innovation but requiring careful strategic IP management.
3. Can ancillary patents expand the protection of the core invention?
Yes, secondary patents on formulations, methods, or specific uses can extend market exclusivity and protect against generic entry.
4. What are the risks of patent invalidation in South Korea?
Claims can be challenged based on prior art disclosures, lack of inventive step, or insufficient disclosure, emphasizing the importance of thorough patent prosecution.
5. How do international patent laws influence South Korean pharmaceutical patents?
South Korea’s adherence to international standards facilitates global patent filings, enabling comprehensive protection in key markets like the U.S., Europe, and China.
References
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Patent Examination Guidelines.
- WIPO. Patent Landscape Reports for South Korea.
- Lee, J., et al. (2022). "Patent Strategies in the Korean Pharmaceutical Industry." Korean Journal of Patent Law.
- South Korean Patent Act (2011 Revised Edition).
- Patent citation databases (e.g., Derwent Innovation, Lens).
