The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in one of the most anticipated and potentially influential biotechnology cases in decades: Ass’n for Molecular Pathology et al. v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. et al. In simple terms, at issue is whether human genes are patentable. The dispute began in 2009, when various non-profit research organizations and…
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next month in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. and will consider whether to permit isolated human genes patents. Much has been written about the Myriad case, but little attention has been paid to the potential international consequences of the decision. Dissimilarities in patent rights in…
Momenta Pharmaceutica and Sandoz recently petitioned the Supreme Court to review the Federal Circuit’s interpretation of the 35 U.S.C. § 271(e)(1) safe harbor provisions. The petition was filed in response to a Federal Circuit decision, issued in August 2012, overturning a Preliminary Injunction that prevented Amphastar from selling its generic version of enoxaparin, a low…
While predicting a Supreme Court decision is never a safe bet, the oral argument in Bowman v. Monsanto suggests that the result will be welcome news for companies patenting self-replicating technology (like the biotechnology industry). On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument on Bowman v. Monsanto, which we told you about on February 12. The…
A recent case is a reminder of a claim construction lesson that all litigants should keep in mind. Last Friday, Novartis AG’s Alcon Inc. subsidiary asked the Supreme Court to reverse a Federal Circuit decision in favor of Apotex relating to Alcon’s Patanol (olopatadine) ophthalmic formulation. The case is interesting because of its unusual procedural…
A Supreme Court patent exhaustion case could affect biopharmaceuticals. Next week, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Bowman v. Monsanto Co. (Docket No. 11-796), a case that may narrow patentees’ rights in self-replicating technologies. The self-replicating technology at issue in Bowman is genetically modified seeds, but it is not difficult to imagine broader implications…