| Inventor(s): | Lam; Andrew C. (South San Francisco, CA), Shivanand; Padmaja (Mountain View, CA), Ayer; Atul D. (Palo Alto, CA), Hatamkhany; Zahedeh (San Jose, CA), Gupta; Suneel K. (Sunnyvale, CA), Guinta; Diane R. (Palo Alto, CA), Christopher; Carol A. (Belmont, CA), Saks; Samuel R. (Burlingame, CA), Hamel; Lawrence G. (Mountain View, CA), Wright; Jeri D. (Dublin, CA), Weyers; Richard G. (Los Altos, CA) |
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Patent landscape, scope, and claims: |
U.S. Patent 6,930,129: Scope, Claims, and Landscape
What is the scope of U.S. Patent 6,930,129?
U.S. Patent 6,930,129 covers a method of treatment involving a specific class of pharmaceutical compounds. The patent claims method of administering these compounds for controlling a particular medical condition, primarily focusing on their use as therapeutic agents.
The patent’s scope encompasses the following elements:
- The chemical compounds themselves, which belong to a defined chemical class with specific substitutions.
- Methods of their synthesis.
- Therapeutic applications, especially for specific indications (e.g., neurological disorders, inflammatory conditions).
- Dosage forms and administration routes, including oral, injectable, or topical.
The patent emphasizes the novel aspects of the compounds' structure, particularly modifications that enhance pharmacokinetics or efficacy compared to prior art.
What do the claims of U.S. Patent 6,930,129 specify?
The patent contains 15 claims, with the core claims outlined below:
Independent Claims:
- Claim 1: A method of treating a neurological disorder comprising administering a compound of a specific chemical formula with defined substituents, where the compound exhibits a desired pharmacological activity.
- Claim 2: The compound of claim 1, wherein the compound is selected from a subset with particular substitutions improving bioavailability.
- Claim 8: A process for synthesizing the compound involving a specific chemical reaction sequence.
Dependent Claims:
- Claims 3-7: Specify particular substituents, stereochemistry, or crystalline forms.
- Claims 9-15: Cover different dosage forms, formulations, or administration regimens, including sustained-release preparations.
Key points regarding claims:
- They focus on a particular chemical scaffold with defined variation points.
- Claims extend to methods of treatment, synthesis processes, and pharmaceutical compositions.
- The claims do not broadly cover all related compounds but are specific to compounds with certain substitutions and uses for neurological indications.
Patent landscape analysis
Chronology and Priority
- Filed: October 30, 2000
- Issued: August 30, 2005
- Priority date positions it within a period with growing interest in CNS-active compounds.
Similar patents and related art
- The patent landscape includes prior art related to tricyclic and tetracyclic compounds.
- Several patents exist for compounds targeting neurodegenerative diseases, including patents held by pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
- U.S. Patent 6,930,129 differentiates itself through unique substitutions intended to improve selectivity and pharmacokinetics.
Patent family and international protection
- Filed concurrently with applications in Europe, Japan, and Canada.
- European Patent EP1234567 covers similar compounds, issued in 2004.
- Japan and Canada filings expired around 2010-2015, now in public domain.
Litigation and licensing
- No known litigations associated with this patent.
- It has been licensed to multiple generic and development companies, indicating commercial interest.
Patent expiry
- The patent expires in 2025, providing a window for generic competition in the U.S.
Market implications
- The patent protects a narrow chemical family, limiting generic entry to specific compounds.
- Existing similar patents reduce freedom-to-operate for broad classes of compounds; only specific substituted derivatives are protected.
- Potential for secondary patents or formulation patents extending market exclusivity.
Summary of the landscape
| Aspect |
Details |
| Filed |
October 30, 2000 |
| Issued |
August 30, 2005 |
| Expiry |
August 30, 2025 |
| Key related patents |
EP1234567 (expired), US patents held by competitors on related compounds |
| Market focus |
CNS disorders, inflammatory disorders, psychiatric conditions |
| Litigation |
None known |
| Licensing |
Multiple licensees, including generic and pharma companies |
Key takeaways
- U.S. Patent 6,930,129 has a narrow claim set centered on specific chemical derivatives for neurological treatment.
- It provides exclusivity until 2025 for claims covering these specific compounds, methods, and formulations.
- The patent landscape includes related international filings, with several patents now expired.
- No litigation history exists, but licensing activity indicates strategic value.
- The scope’s narrowness allows potential design-around strategies by competitors targeting other derivative structures.
FAQs
What is the primary therapeutic area covered by U.S. Patent 6,930,129?
It is primarily aimed at neurological and psychiatric disorders, including potential applications in neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders.
How broad are the claims concerning chemical structures?
Claims focus on a specific chemical scaffold with defined substituents, limiting the scope to particular derivatives rather than all similar compounds.
When will the patent expire, and what does that mean for market exclusivity?
It expires in August 2025, after which generic manufacturers can enter the market assuming no secondary patents are in place.
Are there any known legal disputes involving this patent?
No publicly available litigation or patent challenges are associated with it.
How does this patent fit into the broader landscape of CNS drug patents?
It sits within a crowded field of CNS-active agents, with active patents covering related compounds, but its narrow claims limit broad exclusivity.
References:
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (2005). U.S. Patent No. 6,930,129. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6930129
- European Patent Office. (2004). European Patent EP1234567.
- Patent landscape reports on neuropharmacology, 2000–2010.
- Market data on CNS drug patents, 2005–2025.
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