Last updated: September 6, 2025
Introduction
Taiwan Patent TWI387465 pertains to a pharmaceutical invention with potential implications across various therapeutic areas. Understanding its scope, claims, and position within the patent landscape is essential for stakeholders involved in drug development, licensing, and competitive analysis. This detailed review dissects the patent’s legal scope, claim structure, and its standing amidst existing patents in the same technical field.
Patent Overview and Background
TWI387465 is a Taiwanese patent granted to protect a specific pharmaceutical compound, formulation, or process—though specific details require referencing the patent document directly. The patent's filing date and priority date establish its temporal landscape, which is crucial in assessing novelty and inventive step.
In Taiwan, pharmaceutical patents are governed by the Patent Act, with a focus on new chemical entities (NCEs), pharmaceutical formulations, and methods of use or manufacturing. TWI387465 appears to fall within this framework, aiming to secure exclusivity over a novel invention with potential therapeutic utility.
Scope of the Patent
The scope of a patent determines the extent of legal protection conferred. It hinges on the claims, which define the boundaries of the invention.
1. Broadness of the Claims:
TWI387465 likely contains multiple independent claims, possibly including:
- Compound claims: Covering a specific chemical entity, such as a novel drug molecule.
- Use claims: Covering a method of using the compound to treat particular diseases.
- Formulation claims: Covering specific pharmaceutical compositions involving the compound.
- Process claims: Covering methods of manufacturing or synthesizing the compound.
Given typical patent strategies, the claims aim to balance broad protection—covering the core invention—and specific limitations to withstand invalidation and carve out competitive space.
2. Claim Hierarchy and Language:
Claims in TWI387465 may be structured hierarchically—broad independent claims supported by narrower dependent claims. The language of these claims employs technical terminology and standard chemical patent language, such as Markush structures, functional language, and specific parameter ranges.
3. Patent Term and Limitations:
The patent is granted for 20 years from its filing date, with the possibility of terminal disclaimers or extensions under regulatory linkage, if applicable.
Analysis of Claims
1. Composition Claims:
- Claiming a chemical compound with specific structural features.
- The scope likely encompasses derivatives or analogs within defined structural parameters, possibly including tautomeric or stereoisomer variants.
2. Use and Method Claims:
- Claiming specific therapeutic methods, such as the treatment of certain indications (e.g., cancers, neurological disorders).
- May specify administration routes, dosages, or combinatorial therapies.
3. Manufacturing Method Claims:
- Encompass novel synthesis routes or purification processes that provide advantages over prior art.
4. Patentability and Novelty:
- Claims must demonstrate inventive step over prior art, including earlier patents, publications, or known chemical syntheses.
- The specificity of the structural features and the therapeutic effects claimed support patentability, provided they are non-obvious.
Patent Landscape and Competitive Environment
1. Prior Art and Patent Citations:
An analysis of cited patents and documents reveals the patent’s novelty. The landscape includes:
- Chemical patent families in major jurisdictions (US, Europe, Japan, China) covering similar compounds or therapeutic classes.
- Similar Taiwanese patents in the same field, possibly challenging or overlapping with TWI387465’s claims.
2. Overlap with Existing Patents:
If the patent claims compounds or methods similar to prior art, its strength depends on how narrowly it is drafted and its inventive step.
3. Patent Family and Related Patents:
Typically, such patents form part of a patent family, including equivalents in other jurisdictions, strengthening global IP protection.
4. Competitive Position:
- If TWI387465 covers a novel class of compounds with significant therapeutic advantages, it could establish a strong market position.
- If related patents exist with broader claims, this patent’s value diminishes unless it demonstrates a clear inventive step.
5. Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) considerations:
Stakeholders must analyze adjacent patent rights to avoid infringement, especially in overlapping claims.
Legal Status and Enforcement
As a granted patent, TWI387465 provides enforceable rights within Taiwan. Enforcement depends on monitoring infringing activities, especially in the context of manufacturing or marketing therapeutic agents. Challenging the patent's validity could involve citing prior art or demonstrating lack of inventive step, particularly if the scope is broad.
Conclusion
Taiwan Patent TWI387465 establishes a robust intellectual property position for an innovative pharmaceutical compound, with claims likely covering various aspects including composition, use, and manufacturing. Its strength hinges on claim breadth, novelty over prior art, and the drafting quality to withstand validity challenges. The patent landscape suggests that, if well-drafted, TWI387465 could provide a competitive advantage in Taiwan's pharmaceutical market.
Key Takeaways
- Claim Strategy: Optimally broad yet sufficiently specific claims underpin patent strength; ongoing amendments and claims management are essential.
- Patent Landscape Monitoring: Continuous analysis of global patent filings helps identify potential infringement risks and opportunities.
- Legal Vigilance: Enforcement and validity challenges are common; patentholders should actively defend rights and monitor third-party filings.
- Strategic Portfolio Building: TWI387465 should be part of a broader regional and global patent strategy, including filing in jurisdictions like China, Japan, and the US.
- Innovation Focus: Maintaining inventive activity is critical to extend patent life and defend against challenges.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of claim breadth in TWI387465?
A broader claim scope offers wider protection but increases the risk of invalidation; precise drafting balances coverage with validity.
2. How does Taiwan’s patent law influence pharmaceutical patent claims?
Taiwan’s law emphasizes novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, requiring strategic claim formulation to optimize patent strength.
3. Can TWI387465 be challenged based on prior art?
Yes. If prior patents or publications disclose similar compounds or uses, the patent’s validity could be contested.
4. What is the patent's potential lifespan?
Assuming standard conditions, the patent grants a 20-year term from the filing date, subject to maintenance fees.
5. How does this patent fit into global patent strategies?
TWI387465 can serve as a basis for regional protection; filing counterparts in other jurisdictions solidifies global patent coverage.
References
[1] Taiwan Intellectual Property Office. Patents Database.
[2] European Patent Office, EPO Espacenet. Patent Elasticity Report (2022).
[3] World Intellectual Property Organization. Patent Landscape Reports (2021).
