The Practitioner’s Duty of Candor to the USPTO

FDA, PTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) issued a notice to clarify disclosure duties owed to it entitled Duties of Disclosure and Reasonable Inquiry During Examination, Reexamination, and Reissue, and for Proceedings Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“the Notice”). Parties have a duty of candor and good faith to the USPTO. This…

Section VIII Statement Does Not Create “a Case or Actual Controversy” to Establish Subject Matter Jurisdiction for Declaratory Judgment Counterclaim

Counterclaims, Declaratory Judgment, Section viii Carve-Out, Subject matter eligibility

Judge Richard Andrews of the District of Delaware dismissed counterclaims lodged by two generic drug manufacturers, finding that no justiciable declaratory judgment controversy arises for an ANDA filer who only submits statements pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 355(j)(2)(A)(viii) (“Section viii statements”). In re: Entresto (Sacubitril/Valsartan) Patent Litigation, No. 20-md-02930 (D. Del. Sept. 27, 2022). This…

District Court Allows Infringement Claims to Proceed for Patent Issued After ANDA Approval

Infringement, Motion to dismiss

In a recent order, Judge John Bailey from the Western District of Virginia denied Defendant Mylan’s 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss § 271(e) infringement claims despite the USPTO issuing Plaintiff AstraZeneca’s patent after the FDA approved Mylan’s ANDA. AstraZeneca AB v. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc_, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123111. Mylan’s ANDA application was approved on March…

Written Description Requirement for Negative Claim Limitations in Flux as Federal Circuit Panel Reverses Previous Panel Decision

Indefiniteness, Invalidity, Section 112

Section 112 written description requirements present a challenge for patentees claiming negative limitations, as the extent to which a specification needs to disclose the absence of a feature is not entirely clear, especially following the recent Federal Circuit case Novartis v. HEC Pharm Case No. 1:18-cv-01043-KAJ (Fed. Cir. June 21, 2022). In its review of negative…

Antibody-Directed Inventions Require Robust Written Descriptions and Carefully Drafted Claims

Enablement

In a recently unsealed opinion from the District of Delaware, Judge Dyk of the Federal Circuit sitting by designation, held a patent in the “inherently unpredictable” field of antibodies invalid on summary judgment for failing to satisfy the enablement requirement.  Baxalta Inc. v. Genentech Inc. Delaware Opinion, Case No. 17-cv-509-TBD (D. Del. Jan. 13, 2022). …

Section VIII Carve-Outs Remain Viable in the Wake of GSK v. Teva

Inducement, Section viii Carve-Out

Last week, Judge Andrews from the District of Delaware granted Defendant Hikma’s motion to dismiss Plaintiff Amarin’s induced infringement claims related to the drug Vascepa®. Amarin Pharma, Inc. v. Hikma Pharm. USA Inc. Amarin sells Vascepa® for two indications: severe hypertriglyceridemia (the “SH indication”) and cardiovascular risk reduction (the “CV indication”). Hikma received FDA approval…