Analysis of anti-asthmatic drug patents published in China between 2004 and 2013

ABSTRACT

Introduction: We previously reported that 789 anti-allergic patents were granted in China between 1988 and 2008, but the number of patents seems to have grown much faster in China in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse the patents for anti-asthmatic products between 2004 and 2013 to give pharmaceutical companies and individuals a better understanding of potential candidates for anti-asthmatic drug development from patents published in China.

Areas covered: The current report analyses the scientific progress that supports anti-asthmatic drug patent applications and reviews the published patent literature in China from 2004 to 2013.

Expert opinion: The rapid increase in the number of anti-asthmatic patents in China indicates that more specific discoveries have been made and that more people are aware of the importance of intellectual property protection in China. Holding patents may guarantee protection for an innovative new product.

KEYWORDS:

• anti-asthmatic drug
• Chinese patent
• traditional Chinese medicine
• synthetic compound
• beta₂-adrenoceptor agonist

Article highlights

• The prevalence of asthma is increasing in most countries, especially among children.

• Holding patents is an essential objective for every new pharmacological product.

• Few people are aware of the situation of antiasthmatic drug patents in China.

• Summarizing and analyzing the antiasthmatic drug patents published in China may help to guarantee protection for innovative new products.

• The rapid increase in the number of antiasthmatic patents in China indicates that more specific discoveries have been made and that more people are aware of the importance of intellectual property protection in China.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Financial and competing interests disclosure

The authors were supported for this project by grants from the “12th Five-Year ” National Science and Technology Support Plan (2014BAI07B02); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81172836, 81471592, 81472016); the Major Science and Technology Platform of the Institution of Higher Education in Liaoning Province (2014168); the “Twelfth five-year” Public Welfare Industry Special Scientific Research Project (2015SQ00136); the National Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2014022027); the Program for Liaoning Innovation Research Team in University (LNIRT) (LT2013017); the Climbing Scholar Project of the Institution of Higher Education in Liaoning province (2013222); the Allergic Disease Translational Medicine Research Centre of Liaoning Province (201341); the Liaoning Provincial Engineering Research Centre for Diagnosing & Treating Inflammatory Disease (20141093); the Clinical Capability Construction Project for Liaoning Provincial Hospitals (LNCCC-A06-2014) and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Suzhou (SYS201272). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1517/13543776.2016.1136289