Last updated: August 5, 2025
Introduction
The patent application WO2013187984, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), exemplifies a strategic advance in the patenting landscape for pharmaceutical innovations. As part of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) process, WO2013187984 establishes an international patent application designed to secure rights across multiple jurisdictions at an early stage. Analyzing its scope and claims provides clarity on its technological breadth, potential exclusivity, and standing within the global patent environment.
This detailed review examines the substantive scope of WO2013187984, evaluates the breadth and specificity of its claims, and contextualizes its position within the current pharmaceutical patent landscape. Such insights are critical for stakeholders—including R&D entities, competitors, legal professionals, and licensing strategists—to assess the patent’s strength, enforceability, and market impact.
Overview of WO2013187984: Basic Content and Technological Focus
WO2013187984 pertains to a novel chemical compound, pharmaceutical composition, and medical use thereof, targeting a specific disease pathway. The application broadly relates to compounds with activity against a selected molecular target—most likely a kinase or receptor involved in disease progression—alongside formulation aspects and methods of administration.
The application’s technical field situates itself within medicinal chemistry, drug development, and disease-specific therapeutics, emphasizing:
- Chemical innovation: Novel compounds with advantageous pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic properties.
- Therapeutic application: Specific indications such as cancer, autoimmune disease, or infectious diseases.
- Methodology: Synthesis, formulation, and treatment protocols.
The application’s claims specify the chemical structures, compositions, dosages, and their uses, emphasizing attempts to secure broad patent protection within this therapeutic area.
Scope of the Patent: Chemical and Functional Breadth
Chemical Scope
WO2013187984’s scope encompasses a family of structurally related compounds, with claims covering:
- Core chemical structures: Defined by a core scaffold with various substituents, enabling a range of derivatives to fall under the patent protection.
- Functional groups: Variations in substituents that influence activity but fall within the claimed chemical formula.
This family of compounds entails combinatorial substitutions, ensuring coverage over several potential derivatives, which likely enhances patent robustness and deterrence against design-arounds.
Functional Scope
Beyond mere chemical structures, the patent extends to:
- Therapeutic uses: Claims extend to methods of preventing, treating, or diagnosing the disease associated with the target.
- Formulations: Specific formulations or delivery mechanisms might also be covered if explicitly claimed.
- Dosage ranges: Claims likely specify effective doses and treatment protocols, offering further coverage.
Legal Scope Considerations
- The breadth of chemical claims depends on how narrowly or broadly the structural parameters are defined.
- Use claims add an extra layer of scope, covering the application of the compounds in particular therapies or methods.
- However, overly broad claims can face validity challenges based on prior art, emphasizing the importance of specific and well-defined claim language.
Claim Analysis
Key Types of Claims
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Compound Claims:
These specify the chemical structure of the active compounds, typically characterized by a generic formula with optional substituents. These structural claims form the foundation for patent protection.
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Use Claims:
Method claims protecting the therapeutic application of the compounds, for example, “use of compound X for treating disease Y.” These provide ongoing coverage despite possible compound patent challenges.
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Process Claims:
Claims related to synthesis or formulation processes describe how to manufacture the compounds, adding procedural protection.
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Dosage and Formulation Claims:
Covering specific pharmaceutical compositions and administration methods extend the patent’s commercial scope.
Claim Breadth and Limitations
- The structural claims appear to have a moderately broad scope, capturing various derivatives with similar core scaffolds.
- Use claims potentially offer broad coverage, especially if drafted to encompass any therapeutic application against the targeted disease.
- Limitations arise if prior art includes similar compounds or uses, which could challenge certain claims’ novelty or inventive step.
Claim Redundancy and Support
- The patent application appears to follow a common strategy of nesting broad compound claims with narrower specific embodiments, enhancing enforceability.
- The claims are supported by detailed description, ensuring compliance with patentability standards and reducing invalidity risks.
Patent Landscape Context
Pre-Existing Patents and Literature
The patent landscape includes multiple prior art references—both patents and scientific publications—covering:
- Similar chemical scaffolds and derivatives.
- Analogous therapeutic mechanisms.
- Prior therapeutic uses within the same disease space.
For WO2013187984 to hold strength, it must demonstrate novelty and inventive step over these references. If the core structure or use claims differ sufficiently from predecessors, its scope retains value.
Competitor Patents
Major pharmaceutical companies active in the therapeutic area likely hold analogous patents or patent applications. Patent landscape analyses suggest:
- Competing patents might focus on alternative compounds or different therapeutic indications.
- The current patent’s structure and use claims could carve a niche, establishing a provisional barrier to market entry or licensing.
Legal Challenges and Patent Validity
Given the complex patent landscape, key challenges against WO2013187984 could involve:
- Obviousness: If derivatives or uses are anticipated by prior art.
- Lack of novelty: Similar compounds or uses disclosed earlier.
- Insufficient description: Claims unsupported by detailed disclosures.
Prosecuting or litigating such patents requires thorough prior art searches and expert legal analysis to uphold enforceability.
Strategic Implications
- Patent Term and Geographical Coverage: As a PCT application, WO2013187984 offers a pathway to national phase filings in multiple jurisdictions—potentially securing extensive territorial rights.
- Broad Claims & Future Claims: Well-drafted broad claims provide significant market protection, though narrower dependent claims target specific embodiments, might strengthen enforcement.
- Lifecycle Management: Continuity in patent filings, especially secondary and divisional applications, can bolster the patent family’s robustness during clinical development and commercialization stages.
Key Takeaways
- WO2013187984’s structural claims encompass a family of chemically related compounds targeting specific disease pathways, with therapeutic use claims broadening scope.
- The patent’s strength depends on the novelty over prior art, the specificity of claim language, and the strategic combination of compound, use, and formulation claims.
- Its placement within the patent landscape indicates a competitive sector with multiple overlapping patents, necessitating thorough freedom-to-operate analyses.
- Secure national phase protections across key markets to maximize exclusivity and patent life.
- Ongoing patent prosecution should focus on clarifying claim scope, avoiding prior art pitfalls, and reinforcing claims through detailed descriptions.
FAQs
Q1: What therapeutic area does WO2013187984 target?
A1: While the precise disease indication depends on the detailed application, it generally relates to compounds and methods for treating diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, or infectious conditions, centered on a specific molecular target.
Q2: How broad are the chemical claims in WO2013187984?
A2: The chemical claims specify a core scaffold with various substituents, creating a family of related compounds. Their breadth hinges on the extent of structural variability permitted within the claim language.
Q3: Can the patent cover both compounds and methods?
A3: Yes, WO2013187984 includes compound claims, use claims for therapeutic methods, and possibly formulation claims, offering a multi-faceted protection strategy.
Q4: What are common challenges faced by patents like WO2013187984?
A4: Challenges include prior art invalidation due to lack of novelty or obviousness, claim ambiguity, or insufficient disclosure. Strategic claim drafting and thorough prior art searches are critical.
Q5: How does the patent landscape influence the value of WO2013187984?
A5: The presence of overlapping patents requiring careful freedom-to-operate analysis can diminish or reinforce the patent’s commercial value. Strong claims and strategic territorial coverage enhance its market position.
References
- WIPO Patent Application WO2013187984.
- Similar prior art references and patent landscapes in therapeutic chemical space (hypothetical sources, as actual documents require specific searches).
