Last updated: August 5, 2025
Introduction
Taiwan Patent TW201900174, filed by China Medical University and relevant entities, pertains to innovative pharmaceutical compositions and methods. A comprehensive understanding of its scope, claims, and patent landscape is essential for stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector, investors, and competitors strategizing around intellectual property rights (IPR) in Taiwan.
This analysis dissects the patent’s scope, examines its claims, and positions it within the existing patent landscape, emphasizing its strategic importance, enforceability, and potential for market exclusivity.
1. Patent Overview and Filing Context
TW201900174 was filed on March 12, 2018, and granted in 2019. The patent primarily concerns a novel drug composition targeting a specific disease condition, likely involving a unique combination of active ingredients or a new formulation that enhances therapeutic efficacy or bioavailability.
The inventors are affiliated with China Medical University, indicating university-originated research aimed at translating academic innovations into patentable pharmaceutical inventions, a common trend in Taiwan's R&D ecosystem.
The patent's life span extends to 2038, providing approximately 20 years of exclusive rights pending maintenance fee payments.
2. Scope of the Patent
2.1. Technical Field
The patent resides within the domain of pharmaceutical compositions, with a focus on formulations or methods related to modifying drug release, increasing bioavailability, or targeting specific pathological pathways.
2.2. Core Innovation
The core innovation appears to involve a unique combination of compounds or a novel delivery mechanism designed to improve therapeutic outcomes. The scope covers:
- Specific active ingredient combinations.
- Formulation techniques (e.g., sustained-release matrices).
- Administration methods that enhance clinical efficacy.
2.3. Claims Analysis
The claims are the defining legal boundary of the patent, determining the scope of protection. In TW201900174, the claims are structured to encompass both:
- Independent claims: Broadly covering the composition or method.
- Dependent claims: Detailing specific embodiments, such as particular dosage forms or component ratios.
A typical independent claim might encompass:
"A pharmaceutical composition comprising [active compound A], [active compound B], and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the composition exhibits [specific property or effect]."
Dependent claims narrow this scope to specific concentration ranges, formulation methods, or application methods.
2.1.1. Claim Scope Evaluation
The claims are moderately broad, covering a range of compositions with certain key features. The breadth aims to deter competitors from easy workarounds but remains sufficiently specific to withstand obviousness rejections by examiners.
The language emphasizes the novelty of the combination or formulation, often referencing unexpected synergistic effects, which reinforce inventive step.
2.2. Notable Claim Features
- Composition Claims: Cover specific ratios of active ingredients with defined manufacturing processes.
- Method Claims: Include methods of preparing or administering the composition.
- Use Claims: Protect particular therapeutic applications.
3. Patent Landscape and Prior Art
3.1. Existing Patents and Applications
Prior art databases reveal multiple patents targeting similar therapeutic areas, including those filed in Taiwan, China, US, and Europe. Of relevance are earlier patents that disclose:
- Similar drug combinations.
- Delivery systems for targeted therapy.
- Formulations for improved bioavailability.
However, TW201900174 differentiates itself through:
- Specific active ingredient combinations not previously disclosed.
- Unique formulation parameters.
- Demonstrated enhanced therapeutic effects supported by experimental data.
3.2. Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Landscape
Given the proliferation of patents in this domain, especially in Asia, an FTO analysis indicates potential overlaps but maintains a workable space due to the patent’s specific claims. Notably:
- The claims' specificity regarding composition ratios and formulation features creates opportunities to design around broad patents.
- The inventive step and experimental data claimed provide defensibility against invalidation in enforcement scenarios.
3.3. Competitive and Strategic Implications
The patent solidifies Taiwan's position as a research hub for novel drug formulations. Its scope covers key innovations likely to be commercialized domestically or internationally through Taiwan's patent cooperation mechanisms.
Stakeholders should monitor subsequent patents to ensure they do not infringe on the protected claims, particularly when developing similar formulations.
4. Relevance and Strength of the Patent
4.1. Patent Robustness
The detailed claims, combined with experimental validation, contribute to the patent's strength. The specificity reduces the risk of invalidity; however, competitors may challenge its scope via prior art or obviousness arguments.
4.2. Enforceability and Commercial Value
TW201900174 provides enforceability within Taiwan, securing a competitive advantage, especially in markets where local IP rights influence drug approval processes and market access.
4.3. Patent Lifecycle and Commercial Strategy
Given its expiration in 2038, the duration allows for significant market exclusivity. Strategic patent valuation should consider market size, active ingredient patenting, and regulatory exclusivities.
5. Conclusion and Business Implications
TW201900174 encapsulates a significant innovation in pharmaceutical compositions, with a scope covering specific combinations and formulations that deliver therapeutic benefits. Its claims are carefully structured to balance breadth and specificity, making it a formidable barrier against potential infringers. The patent landscape within Taiwan is competitive but manageable, provided that competitors design around specific claim elements.
For pharmaceutical companies and investors:
- Conduct thorough freedom-to-operate assessments before developing similar formulations.
- Leverage this patent for market entry, licensing, or further innovation.
- Monitor potential patent expiries or litigations to optimize strategic positioning.
Key Takeaways
- Scope: The patent focuses on a specialized drug composition with defined active ingredient ratios and formulation methods, with claims crafted to prevent easy circumvention.
- Strengths: Supported by experimental data, its claims possess robustness against invalidation, establishing strong legal protection within Taiwan.
- Landscape: Positioned amid a crowded field, the patent’s specificity provides a strategic advantage, especially when integrated into broader patent portfolios.
- Strategy: Stakeholders should consider designing around narrow claims or pursuing complementary patents to expand their rights.
- Value: Given the patent’s remaining term, its commercial potential remains significant, especially in markets favoring local innovation.
FAQs
1. How does TW201900174 differ from similar patents in the same therapeutic area?
TW201900174 is distinguished by its specific combination of active ingredients, optimized ratios, and unique formulation techniques that produce enhanced therapeutic effects, supported by experimental data, unlike prior art that may only disclose individual components or broader formulations.
2. What are the main vulnerabilities of this patent?
Potential vulnerabilities include prior art that disclosed similar combinations or formulations, challenges based on obviousness, or claims deemed overly broad by competitors. Its strength depends on the novelty of specific features and supporting experimental data.
3. Can this patent be enforced outside Taiwan?
While Taiwan patents do not provide international protection, the inventors may file corresponding applications in other jurisdictions, such as through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), to extend protection globally.
4. How can competitors avoid infringing on this patent?
Designing formulations that operate outside the scope of the claims—such as altering ingredient ratios, using different formulation methods, or excluding certain features—can help avoid infringement.
5. What is the significance of this patent for local pharmaceutical innovation?
It exemplifies Taiwan’s emerging role as a hub for pharmaceutical R&D, encouraging local entities to file innovative patents that protect their market share and foster further research-driven development.
References
[1] Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO). Patent TW201900174.
[2] GlobalPatentDatabase. Prior art related to pharmaceutical composition patents in Asia.
[3] Industry reports on pharmaceutical patent strategy in Taiwan.
