P.T.A.B. Assumes Nothing Based on Tradenames
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board recently denied institution of inter partes review of two Allergan patents directed to a hyaluronic acid-based gel containing lidocaine. Teoxane S.A. v. Allergan, PLC, IPR2017-01906, Paper 15 (P.T.A.B. March 9, 2018); Teoxane S.A. v. Allergan, PLC, IPR2017-02002, Paper 14 (P.T.A.B. March 9, 2018). The patents at issue, U.S. Patent […]
Court Requires the FDA to Reassess Decisions Rendered Under its Old Interpretation of Five-Year NCE Exclusivity
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras found that the FDA’s prior interpretation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act’s (“FDCA”) five-year exclusivity provision was arbitrary and capricious. Ferring Pharm., Inc. v. Burwell, No. 15-0802 (D.D.C. Sep. 9, 2016). This provision—known as NCE exclusivity—provides a five-year period of marketing exclusivity for drugs in which “no active […]
“Consisting Essentially Of” Preamble Indefinite Because the “Basic and Novel Properties” of the Invention Were Not Reasonably Clear
A U.S. federal district court judged the transitional phrase “consisting essentially of” to be indefinite in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Nautilus. Horizon Pharma Ireland Ltd. et al. v. Actavis Laboratories UT Inc., Case no. 1:14-cv-07992, in the U.S.D.C., District of New Jersey. Background. As we wrote about here, in its 2014 Nautilus […]
No Personal Jurisdiction over Foreign Patentee in Benicar® Saga
Last week the Northern District of Illinois found it lacked personal jurisdiction over foreign patentee Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiary, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.. Torrent Pharma. Ltd. v. Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., No. 16-C-2988 (N.D. Ill. July 25, 2016). The First Benicar® Case. Daiichi holds the NDA for Benicar® and markets the blood […]
ANDA Statements Fatal to DOE Defense
A recent order from the Federal Circuit serves as a good reminder that a party’s statements in its ANDA may be used against the party in litigation. Intendis GmbH v. Glenmark Pharms. Inc., 822 F.3d 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2016). The Court relied on statements in the ANDA about the function of the claimed excipients to […]
Supreme Court Upholds “Broadest Reasonable” Claim Construction Standard; Confirms Decision to Institute IPRs Remains “Unappealable”
Yesterday in Cuozzo Speed Techs., LLC v Lee, the Supreme Court clarified two aspects of inter partes review procedure: (1) the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) may continue to use the broadest reasonable claim construction standard for construing the claims of unexpired patents; and (2) the PTAB’s decision to institute (or not institute) an […]
Beware: PTAB Mercilessly Enforces Deadlines
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) recently denied motions by Teva to amend the filing dates of two petitions to institute IPRs related to patents covering Suboxone, a drug used to help patients suffering from opioid addiction. Teva’s deadline for filing these petitions was December 3, 2016, but due to technical difficulties in filing, […]
No Sale Required for 102(b) On-Sale Bar
In Merck & CIE v. Watson Laboratories, Inc., No. 2015-2063, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 8782 (Fed. Cir. May 13, 2016), the Federal Circuit reversed a District of Delaware Paragraph IV decision, and held that the patent-in-suit was invalid under the on-sale bar of pre-AIA Section 102(b). The sole asserted claim was directed to crystalline calcium […]
Claim Construction Ruling Not a Free Pass to Amend Contentions
A recent order the District of New Jersey highlights the importance of diligence in establishing good cause to amend a party’s contentions, and that a claim construction ruling is a not a free pass to amend infringement contentions. Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., et al. v. Sun Pharma Global FZE et al., Case No. 14-cv-4616 (D.N.J.) […]