[Newsmp] The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) granted fewer than 200 drug patents in 2023.
According to the MFDS information platform (https://nedrug.mfds.go.kr/), the number of drug patents registered with the MFDS decreased by 80 cases from 278 cases in the previous year to 198 cases.
Eli Lilly Korea led the pack with 22 patents amid a drug patent plunge, the only company to exceed 20 patents.
Lilly has filed two patents for each of the six doses of Mountaro (ingredient: tirzepatide), a GIP/GLP-1 dual-action agent for the treatment of diabetes and obesity, resulting in 12 patents for Mounjaro only.
After Lilly, Pfizer Korea registered 17 patents, followed by Sanofi-Aventis Korea and Roche Korea with 14 patents each, Janssen Korea with 11 patents, and Astellas Pharma Korea with 10 patents.
JW Pharmaceutical, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Korea, and BMS Korea recorded 9 patents each, followed by Novartis Korea with 8 patents, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical with 7 patents, Celltrion and AstraZeneca Korea with 6 patents each, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical with 5 patents.
With 4 patents each, HK inno.N, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, and Takeda Korea trailed the way, while Daewon Pharmaceutical, Yuhan Corporation, Handok, and Teva-Handok secured 3 patents each.
Dong-A ST, Celltrion Pharm, Amgen Korea, Boehringer Ingelheim Korea, Eisai Korea, and Korea United Pharm followed with two patents each.
Moreover, GSK, Gilead Sciences Korea, Green Cross, LEO Pharma, MEDITIP, SAMOH Pharm, Jeil Pharmaceutical, Jin Yang Pharmaceutical, Kolon Pharma, Taejoon Pharma, MSD Korea, Servier Korea, AbbVie Korea, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Korea, and Korea PMG Pharm each licensed one patent.
