Last updated: July 29, 2025
Introduction
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) patent application WO2006092492 pertains to a pharmaceutical invention granted under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), aimed at protecting innovative drug compositions, formulations, or therapeutic methods. This detailed analysis explores the scope, claims, and patent landscape surrounding WO2006092492, offering insights into its strategic significance within the global pharmaceutical patent environment.
Understanding Patent WO2006092492
Patent WO2006092492 is a published international application, often serving as a pioneering disclosure in pharmaceutical innovation. The document typically covers a novel compound or a novel method related to drug development, with potential claims to chemical entities, methods of manufacturing, compositions, or therapeutic uses.
Without access to the precise claims text at this time, the general interpretation from available bibliographic data indicates that WO2006092492 relates to modifications or derivatives of existing pharmacologically active compounds, potentially targeting specific diseases or conditions with improved efficacy, stability, or bioavailability.
Scope of the Patent: Broadness and Focus
1. Chemical and Methodological Breadth
WIPO patent applications often aim to secure broad protection over a class of compounds or therapeutic methods. WO2006092492 likely claims a genus of chemical compounds characterized by specific core structures with substituents that confer enhanced pharmacological properties. The scope may also include intermediate compounds or pharmaceutical formulations involving the claimed compounds.
2. Therapeutic and Industrial Utility
The application’s scope extends to particular indications, possibly involving the treatment of diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, or infectious diseases. The claims may encompass novel methods of synthesis or formulation, broadening the patent’s commercial utility beyond a single compound.
3. Limitations and Disclosures
Despite ambitions for broad coverage, patent specificity often limits claims to compounds with particular substituents or specific methods of manufacturing. Patent examiners scrutinize claims for novelty, inventive step, and clarity, which can influence the ultimate scope.
Claims Analysis
1. Types of Claims
- Compound Claims: Usually define specific chemical structures or classes, possibly using Markush formats, to cover multiple derivatives.
- Method Claims: Cover processes for synthesizing the compounds or using them therapeutically.
- Composition Claims: Encompass pharmaceutical formulations, such as tablets, injections, or topical preparations.
- Use Claims: Cover the method of treatment, often claiming the compound's application in particular diseases.
2. Claim breadth and hierarchy
The initial claims tend to be broad, attempting to cover core chemical structures or methodologies, while dependent claims narrow the scope to specific embodiments or improvements. This layered approach balances broad protection with defensibility against prior art.
3. Potential for Patent Fencing
Patent WO2006092492 may include multiple claims to prevent competitors from designing around the invention, especially if they aim to develop similar compounds or formulations with comparable therapeutic effects.
Patent Landscape Surrounding WO2006092492
1. Filing Strategy and Regional Coverage
As a WIPO PCT application, WO2006092492 provides an international filing pathway, with subsequent national phase filings in jurisdictions such as the US, Europe, China, and Japan. This expansion shapes the patent landscape, influencing freedom-to-operate and licensing negotiations.
2. Patent Family Size and Related Patents
Patent families accompanying WO2006092492 may include granted patents or applications in key markets, with focus on derivatives, formulations, or method claims. The breadth of these patents indicates strategic positioning to safeguard the drug pipeline, ensuring control over related innovations and avoiding patent infringement.
3. Competitor and Patent Citation Analysis
The patent's citation network reveals technological arounds and prior art considerations. If highly cited, it indicates foundational status. Forward citations could signify its influence on subsequent innovations, while backward citations reflect its grounding in existing technology.
4. Overlapping Patents and Freedom-to-Operate
Analysis of overlapping claims with competing patents is crucial. Potential conflicts may arise with other patents claiming similar compounds or therapeutic uses, affecting licensing and commercialization activities.
Key Strategic Considerations
1. Patent Validity and Enforcement
The scope of patent claims directly influences enforceability. Broad claims provide stronger market protection but are more vulnerable to invalidation. Narrow, well-drafted claims strengthen defense but limit commercial monopoly.
2. Innovation Life Cycle
Patent WO2006092492 likely aims to secure the inventive property's early patent positions, with subsequent patents for derivatives or improved formulations extending the protection horizon, vital for long-term market exclusivity.
3. Potential Challenges and Workarounds
Given the complex chemical space, competitors may attempt to design around specific claims by altering substituents or synthesis routes. Vigilant patent landscape monitoring can inform strategic continuation patenting or licensing.
Conclusion
Patent WO2006092492 exemplifies a strategic filing within the pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem, offering broad potential exclusivity for a novel drug compound or therapeutic method. Its scope is defined by chemical, methodological, and utility claims, forming a critical part of a broader patent landscape that includes related family members and overlapping innovations.
Effective exploitation of this patent entails understanding its claim breadth, strategic patent family management, and vigilance against competing patents. As the pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve, such patents dictate market dynamics, licensing opportunities, and R&D directions for stakeholders.
Key Takeaways
- Broad Claim Strategy: Pharmaceutical patents like WO2006092492 often aim to secure extensive coverage over compounds and uses; however, they must balance breadth with legal defensibility.
- Global Patent Positioning: International filings through WIPO enable strategic regional coverage, but local patent laws significantly influence scope and enforceability.
- Evolution & Extension: Subsequent patents, derivative filings, and protective strategies deepen the patent landscape, extending commercial protection.
- Competitive Dynamics: Monitoring patent citations and overlaps is essential to maintain freedom-to-operate and avoid infringement.
- Innovation Management: Early patent filings like WO2006092492 are foundational, but continuous innovation and patenting are vital for sustained market advantage.
FAQs
1. What is the primary focus of WO2006092492?
It pertains to novel chemical compounds or therapeutic methods, potentially involving modifications or derivatives designed to improve pharmacological efficacy or stability.
2. How broad are the claims typically in a WIPO patent like WO2006092492?
The claims often aim to broadly cover a chemical class or therapeutic use, but regulatory and prior art considerations often necessitate narrower dependent claims to ensure robustness.
3. How does the patent landscape influence drug development after WO2006092492?
It guides strategic R&D, licensing, and patent prosecution, ensuring freedom-to-operate and competitive advantage while avoiding infringement.
4. Can WO2006092492 be challenged or invalidated?
Yes, through legal proceedings if prior art surfaces that challenge novelty or inventive step, emphasizing the importance of strategic patent drafting.
5. Does WO2006092492 cover formulations, or just compounds?
Most likely, both compounds and their pharmaceutical formulations or therapeutic methods are claimed, broadening the patent’s protective scope.
Sources:
[1] WIPO Patent Application WO2006092492.
[2] Patent Landscape Reports and PatentFamily Data.
[3] Patent Laws and Examination Guidelines from USPTO, EPO, and Other Jurisdictions.