Keeping pace with the ever-changing life sciences industry, Morrison Foerster stays on top of the trends and political, legal, and economic drivers to support striking the balance between innovative discovery and purposeful business planning to assure our clients continued success. MoFo Life Sciences shares timely legal and business insights and in-depth analyses on trends and the complex technologies at the heart of the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, and AgTech fields.Learn more about our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/capabilities/life-sciences-healthcare" target="_self">Life Sciences practice</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants. She represents clients ranging from large international pharmaceutical companies to midsized companies, startups, and universities.Meghan has filed numerous Patent Term Extension applications to secure additional term for her clients’ patents, which cover FDA-approved products. In addition, Meghan has extensive experience addressing complex obviousness-double patenting and subject matter eligibility issues impacting her clients’ patent portfolios. Meghan also represents clients in both investor-side and target-side due diligence, in deals from seed funding to initial public offerings.Prior to law school, Meghan attended graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Ph.D. in biological chemistry based on her work on protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions at a molecular level. Meghan is the author of several scientific publications and has presented her research at international conferences.Meghan received her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School and spent a year as a visiting student at Santa Clara University, where she focused on intellectual property.

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Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants.

Meghan Poon

Wolfgang advises clients on contentious and non-contentious matters involving their most valuable intellectual property assets in life sciences, digital, and high-tech industries.His subjects of focus include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, and other technology transactions, as well as know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law. He also has substantial experience in litigating patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property assets, often in a multijurisdictional context. In addition, Wolfgang and his team frequently clear trademarks and ad campaigns and prosecute trademark applications.Wolfgang is co-editor of our <a href="https://lifesciences.mofo.com/" dir="ltr" target="_blank">MoFo Life Sciences Blog</a>.Wolfgang is a partner of Morrison Foerster based in our German office in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Representative Transactional Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>U.S.-based BioTech fund on various research collaborations and other transactions with German start-ups or research institutions.</li><li>Negotiate multimillion-euro strategic partnership between two AgTech leaders concerning the development and commercialization of pest-resistant transgenic traits.</li><li>Craft global multi-million collaboration regarding AI-powered robotic MaaS.</li><li>UK-based digital health company on product roll-out of RPM applications in Germany; coordinate international expansion.</li><li>Advise numerous German start-ups on their U.S. expansion.</li><li>Draft diverse global patent and know-how license agreements in the areas of AgTech and life sciences—including gene licensing and licensing of genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR)—and medical devices; draft correlating supply and distribution agreements.</li><li>Structure IP rights in connection with joint ventures and other M&A transactions, including the carve-out of a patent-heavy semiconductor business comprising nine jurisdictions into a German–U.S. joint venture.</li><li dir="ltr">Advise on government-funded, multi-partner R&D projects and/or R&D projects with academic institutions, as well as on employee invention law.</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Representative Contentious IP Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>Lead counsel in an international dispute between software companies on rights and obligations following termination of a multi-million licensing and distribution arrangement; coordinate local counsel.</li><li>Defend Japanese chip manufacturer in high-profile SEP-litigation; advise on global settlement arrangement.</li><li>Represent leading internet retailer in patent infringement and concurrent invalidity proceedings in the context of a multijurisdictional dispute concerning touch-screen technology.</li><li>Represent diverse pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in national and cross-border patent infringement proceedings and other technology-related disputes, including preliminary injunctions as well as pre‑trial discovery and inspection proceedings, concerning, inter alia, drug-coating technologies, toner cartridges, medicinal gases, transgenic plants, and vaccines.</li><li dir="ltr">Conduct trademark, copyright, and false advertising litigation, including, most notably, a high-profile trademark litigation for a German bank, and a nine-country cross-border trademark litigation involving a famous pharmaceutical brand.</li></ul>

Dr. Wolfgang Schönig berät Mandanten zum Schutz des geistigen Eigentums sowohl in streitigen als auch nichtstreitigen Angelegenheiten, mit einem besonderen Fokus auf die IP-rechtliche Beratung von Unternehmen aus den Bereichen Life Sciences, Digitalwirtschaft und High-Tech.Zu seinen Beratungsschwerpunkten gehören Forschungs- und Entwicklungskooperationen, komplexe Lizenzvertragsgestaltungen und andereTechnologie-Transaktionen, sowie Know-how-Schutz-Strategien und das Arbeitnehmererfinderrecht. Er verfügt zudem über umfangreiche Prozesserfahrung zur Durchsetzung von Patenten, Marken- und anderen IP-Rechten, häufig auch in einem grenzüberschreitenden Kontext. Darüber hinaus bewertet Dr. Wolfgang Schönig zusammen mit seinem Team regelmäßig die Rechtskonformität von Werbekampagnen, prüft die Verfügbarkeit von Marken und entwickelt entsprechende Anmeldestrategien.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Co-Editor des Life Sciences Blogs von Morrison Foerster.Er hat seinen Doktortitel an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf und seinen LL.M. an der Fordham School of Law in New York erworben, jeweils mit Schwerpunkt im gewerblichen Rechtsschutz. Seinen MBA-Abschluss erhielt er von der European University in Barcelona.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Partner des deutschen Büros von Morrison Foerster in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative Transaktionen</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">BioTech-Fonds mit Sitz in den USA bei verschiedenen Forschungskooperationen und anderen Transaktionen mit deutschen Start-ups oder Forschungseinrichtungen</li><li dir="ltr">Verhandlung einer hochvolumigen strategischen Partnerschaft zwischen zwei Technologieführern im Bereich Crop Science betreffend der Entwicklung und Kommerzialisierung von bestimmten Resistenzen</li><li dir="ltr">Gestaltung einer globalen Multi-Millionen-Zusammenarbeit für KI-gestützte Roboter</li><li dir="ltr">Ein in Großbritannien ansässiges Unternehmen für digitale Gesundheit bei der Markteinführung von RPM-Anwendungen in Deutschland; Koordination der internationalen Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zahlreicher deutscher Start-ups bei deren US-Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung und Verhandlung diverser Patent- und Know-How-Lizenzen in den Bereichen Ag Tech und Life Sciences – einschließlich Fragen zu genome editing wie CRISPR-Medizingeräte, sowie Gestaltung von Softwarelizenzverträgen und Erstellung korrespondierender Liefer- und Vertriebsvereinbarungen</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung von IP-Rechten im Zusammenhang mit Joint Ventures und anderen M&A-Transaktionen, darunter die Koordination eines neun Länder umfassenden IP Carve-Outs im Rahmen eines Halbleiter-JVs</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zu staatlich geförderten Multi-Partner F&E-Projekten und/oder F&E-Projekten mit akademischen Einrichtungen sowie zum Arbeitnehmererfindungsrecht</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative IP-Streitigkeiten</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">Lead Counsel in einem internationalen Rechtsstreit zwischen Softwareunternehmen über Rechte und Pflichten nach Beendigung einer millionenschweren Lizenz- und Vertriebsvereinbarung; Koordinierung der lokalen Anwälte</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung eines japanischen Chipherstellers in einem prominenten Streitfall bezüglich Standardessentieller Patente (SEP); Beratung zu einer globalen Vergleichsregelung</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung einer führenden Internetplattform gegen Ansprüche eines Patenttrolls wegen vermeintlicher Verletzung von Patent bezüglich Touchscreen-Technologie sowie korrespondierende US-Streitigkeiten</li><li dir="ltr">Vertretung von Pharma- und Life Science-Unternehmen in nationalen und grenzüberschreitenden Patentverletzungsverfahren und anderen technologiebezogenen Streitigkeiten, einschließlich einstweiliger Verfügungsverfahren und vorprozessualer Beweissicherungs- und Besichtigungsverfahren, unter anderem in Bezug auf Arzneimittelbeschichtungstechnologien, Tonerkartuschen, medizinische Gase, transgene Pflanzen und Impfstoffe</li></ul>

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Wolfgang Schönig is a partner of Morrison Foerster (International) LLP based in our German office in Berlin. His practice specialty is advising on IP aspects relative to transactions in, among others, the life sciences, AgTech and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes. Wolfgang is specialized in research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, technology acquisitions, know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law.

Wolfgang Schönig focuses his practice on IP aspects relative to transactions in the digital, telecoms, high tech, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes.

Wolfgang Schönig advises clients on IP aspects relating to transactions in, among others, the life sciences, AgTech and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes. His additional focus areas include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, technology acquisitions, know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law.

Wolfgang Schönig

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On March 13, 2025, the Federal Circuit issued a decision in Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. v. Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc., No. 23-2254 (Fed. Cir. 2025) that clarifies how patent term extension (PTE) is calculated for reissue patents. PTE was established under the Hatch-Waxman Act as a mechanism by which the term of a patent may be extended for up to five years to compensate for delays in obtaining regulatory approval for certain products such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices.<a href="#_ftn1" target="_self">[1]</a> PTE therefore can be an important mechanism for extending exclusivity for valuable products in the life sciences. Notably, the amount of PTE available for any given patent depends upon the issue date of the patent, which is the subject that the Court addressed in this decision.The case involves Merck’s U.S. Patent No. RE44,733 (“the RE’733 patent”), which includes claims directed to “sugammadex,” the active ingredient in Merck’s BRIDION® drug for reversing neuromuscular blockades. The RE’733 patent is a reissue of U.S. Patent No. 6,670,340 (“the original patent”), which included claims directed to sugammadex. The RE’733 patent retains the claims of the original patent and also includes 12 additional, narrower claims directed to sugammadex.<a href="#_ftn2" target="_self">[2]</a> After regulatory approval of sugammadex, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) awarded five years of PTE to RE’733 based on the issue date of the original patent.<a href="#_ftn3" target="_self">[3]</a>Merck asserted the RE’733 patent against defendant-appellants (collectively “Aurobindo”), who sought regulatory approval to sell generic versions of BRIDION®. Aurobindo argued at trial that the USPTO miscalculated the PTE award of the RE’733 patent in view of the plain text meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 156(c).<a href="#_ftn4" target="_self">[4]</a> 35 U.S.C. § 156(c) provides that:The term of a patent eligible for extension under subsection (a) shall be extended by the time equal to the regulatory review period for the approved product which period occurs after the date the patent is issued…(emphasis added). Aurobindo argued that the plain text of 35 U.S.C. § 156(c) required the USPTO to calculate PTE using the issue date of the reissued RE’733 patent, not the issue date of the original patent.<a href="#_ftn5" target="_self">[5]</a> Under this reasoning, Aurobindo asserted that the RE’733 patent was entitled to only 686 days of PTE, not the five years awarded by the USPTO, and that the term of the RE’733 patent had therefore expired.<a href="#_ftn6" target="_self">[6]</a> The district court interpreted “the patent” in 35 U.S.C. § 156(c) as referring to the original patent, finding that the RE’733 patent was entitled to the five years of PTE awarded by the USPTO.<a href="#_ftn7" target="_self">[7]</a>On appeal, the Federal Circuit agreed with the district court that the RE’733 patent was entitled to five years of PTE based on the issue date of the original patent.<a href="#_ftn8" target="_self">[8]</a> The Court considered the specific context of the use of “the patent” in 35 U.S.C. § 156(c) and the broader purpose of the Hatch-Waxman Act.<a href="#_ftn9" target="_self">[9]</a> The Court reasoned that construing “the patent” as used in 35 U.S.C. § 156(c) as meaning the original patent was the only construction that comported with the purpose of the Hatch-Waxman Act, which is to compensate “patent owners who were actually disabled from benefiting from patent protection during the pendency of regulatory review.”<a href="#_ftn10" target="_self">[10]</a> The Court noted that their decision is consistent with how the USPTO has handled such cases and that Section 2766 of the USPTO’s Manual of Patent Examining Procedure was consistent with this statutory interpretation.<a href="#_ftn11" target="_self">[11]</a>Under the Federal Circuit’s construction, Merck is compensated “for the period of exclusivity lost due to regulatory delay”—the period of time after the original patent issued during which Merck was unable to commercially market BRIDION® due to regulatory review.<a href="#_ftn12" target="_self">[12]</a> Under Aurobindo’s proposed construction of “the patent,” which the court rejected, the calculus should be tied to the issue date of the RE’733 patent, which naturally would occur later than the issue date of the original patent, and therefore would have resulted in less compensation for the period of exclusivity that Merck lost due to regulatory review.<a href="#_ftn13" target="_self">[13]</a>The Federal Circuit held that “in the context of reissued patents, ‘the patent’ in [35 U.S.C. § 156(c)] refers to the original patent that includes claims that are directed to a drug product.”<a href="#_ftn14" target="_self">[14]</a> In this case, the original patent included claims directed to sugammadex, and therefore the patent was entitled to the five years of PTE awarded by the USPTO.Two footnotes in the opinion suggest how courts could address other factual scenarios not raised in the current case. In one instance, the Court commented that if the original patent included claims directed to a drug product subject to regulatory review, and those claims were canceled during reissue, the canceled claims would no longer be PTE eligible regardless of whether they were canceled before or after regulatory review.<a href="#_ftn15" target="_self">[15]</a> In another instance, the Court noted that the case did not address the situation “where the original patent did not include any claims directed to the drug product and was later reissued to include broader claims directed to such product,”<a href="#_ftn16" target="_self">[16]</a> suggesting such situation could turn on factors such as whether the reissued patent was issued before or after regulatory review.The reissue process can be used to strengthen patents by adding additional claims or modifying existing claims. In view of this case, patentees need not per se avoid seeking reissue on patents that may serve as a basis for PTE. However, given the limited factual scenario presented and the suggestion that other scenarios may be treated differently, patentees should use caution in considering the types of claim amendments presented in reissue for patents that may be subject to PTE.<hr class="divider"><a href="#_ftnref1" target="_self">[1]</a> See 35 U.S.C. § 156.<a href="#_ftnref2" target="_self">[2]</a> Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. v. Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc., No. 23-2254 (Fed. Cir. 2025) at 6.<a href="#_ftnref3" target="_self">[3]</a> Id. at 4.<a href="#_ftnref4" target="_self">[4]</a> Id. at 8.<a href="#_ftnref5" target="_self">[5]</a> Id.<a href="#_ftnref6" target="_self">[6]</a> Id.<a href="#_ftnref7" target="_self">[7]</a> Id. at 8-9.<a href="#_ftnref8" target="_self">[8]</a> See id. at 17.<a href="#_ftnref9" target="_self">[9]</a> Id. at 11-12.<a href="#_ftnref10" target="_self">[10]</a> Id. at 14.<a href="#_ftnref11" target="_self">[11]</a> Id. at 16; see M.P.E.P. § 2766 (“With respect to calculating the amount of extension to which the reissued patent is entitled to receive, so long as the original patent claimed the approved product and the reissued patent claims the approved product, the original patent grant date would be used to calculate the extension to which the reissued patent would be entitled.”)<a href="#_ftnref12" target="_self">[12]</a> Id. at 13.<a href="#_ftnref13" target="_self">[13]</a> See id.<a href="#_ftnref14" target="_self">[14]</a> Id. at 17.<a href="#_ftnref15" target="_self">[15]</a> See id. at Footnote 10 (“If the original patent included claims directed to a drug product subject to regulatory review and the patent owner subsequently cancels those claims, section 156 of course would not apply, whether the cancellation occurred before or after regulatory review. This is because cancelled claims are treated as void ab initio. Fresenius, 721 F.3d at 1346.”)<a href="#_ftnref16" target="_self">[16]</a> Id. at Footnote 11.

Federal Circuit Clarifies Patent Term Extension Calculation for Reissue Patents

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Lisa N. Silverman focuses on patent portfolio management and strategic patent counseling in the areas of chemistry and life sciences. She has extensive experience in securing U.S. and foreign patent p

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Lisa Silverman

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Emily’s practice focuses on patent preparation, prosecution, and counseling.

Emily Jane Roberts Ph.D.

Emily Roberts

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Federal Circuit Clarifies Patent Term Extension Calculation for Reissue Patents

Recent Digital Health-Related FDA Announcements

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The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/s150/BILLS-118s150es.pdf" target="_blank">Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (APPA) of 2023</a> unanimously passed the Senate on July 11, 2024. The APPA was first introduced to the House on January 30, 2023 by Representative John Cornyn (R-Tx), with the aim of reducing drug prices. The APPA would revise certain provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 271(e) to limit the number of patents a drug manufacturer can assert in a patent infringement lawsuit against biosimilars and generics companies. Specifically, the revisions to § 271(e) state that a drug manufacturer may assert no more than 20 patents in an infringement action and that no more than 10 of the 20 patents shall have been newly issued or licensed to the drug manufacturer, as defined by section 351(l)(1)7(A) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.The limit on the number of patents that can be asserted may be increased (i) if the drug manufacturer makes a request without undue delay and (ii) if the interest of justice so requires or for good cause shown. Good cause will be established if the biosimilars or generics drug company fails to provide information that would enable a drug manufacturer to form a reasonable belief that a claim of infringement could reasonably be asserted. Good cause may be established if there is a material change to the biological product or process with respect to the biological product by the biosimilars or generics company, if there is a delay by the USPTO in issuing the patent of the drug manufacturer, or for another reason the court deems appropriate.More recently, companion bill H.R. 9070, titled Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (APPA) of 2024, was introduced to the House on July 18, 2024 by U.S. Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Hank Johnson (D-Ga.).Whether the bill passes the House of Representatives remains to be seen. Should the bill pass, the impact on biosimilar litigation is hard to predict. While there have been cases in which more than 20 patents are asserted, including litigations regarding Humira, in other litigations the patents at issue have not exceeded 20.Subscribe to the MoFo Life Sciences blog to stay up to date on legislative changes affecting biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Limit Patent Infringement Challenges by Drug Manufacturers

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Dr. Paige Chandler focuses her practice on patent drafting and prosecution and IP due diligence, with an emphasis on biomedical physiology.

Paige N. Chandler Ph.D.

Paige Chandler

Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants. 

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Driscoll’s, Inc. v. California Berry Cultivars, LLC (Eastern District of California)

Bayer CropScience LP v. Tenfold Tech., LLC (Eastern District of Texas)

The Regents of the University of California v. California Berry Cultivars, L.L.C. et al.  (California Superior Court and Northern District of California)

Arch Development Corp. v. Genentech, Inc. (Northern District of Illinois, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and Federal Circuit)

Phigenix, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. (Northern District of California and Federal Circuit)

Phigenix, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. and ImmunoGen, Inc. (Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Federal Circuit)

Focal Therapeutics, Inc. v. Senorx, Inc. (Patent Trial and Appeal Board)

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Matthew protects his clients’ intellectual property and defends his clients wrongly accused of infringement. His hearing and trial experience is extensive. Whether exploring complex technical issues regarding a biologic drug, or digging into the finer points of patent law, he excels at keeping his opponents on their toes.

Matthew Chivvis

Matthew A. Chivvis

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Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Limit Patent Infringement Challenges by Drug Manufacturers

240816-life-sciences-blog

The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (APPA) of 2023 unanimously passed the Senate on July 11, 2024. 

On August 13, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a welcomed decision to patentees in <a href="https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5fe7fbcfa8dbe8bdJmltdHM9MTcyMzU5MzYwMCZpZ3VpZD0wOTdiNTBhYS0wMTY4LTY2MDYtMjJhYi00NGU3MDBkMjY3NmQmaW5zaWQ9NTE5Nw&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=097b50aa-0168-6606-22ab-44e700d2676d&psq=Allergan+USA%2c+Inc.+v.+MSN+Laboratories+Private+Ltd.%2c+No.+24-1061+(Fed.+Cir.+2024)&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9jYWZjLnVzY291cnRzLmdvdi9vcGluaW9ucy1vcmRlcnMvMjQtMTA2MS5PUElOSU9OLjgtMTMtMjAyNF8yMzY2MDc0LnBkZg&ntb=1">Allergan USA, Inc. v. MSN Laboratories Private Ltd., No. 24-1061 (Fed. Cir. 2024)</a> clarifying the scope of obviousness-type double patenting (ODP) in the aftermath of its In re Cellect, LLC, 81 F.4th 1216 (Fed. Cir. 2023) decision last year.In a potentially significant win for patentees, the Federal Circuit in Allergan held that “a first-filed, first-issued, later-expiring claim cannot be invalidated by a later-filed, later-issued, earlier-expiring reference claim having a common priority date.” This represented a reversal of the district court’s determination that claim 40 of the ’356 patent at issue was invalid under the doctrine of ODP over claim 33 of the ’011 patent and claim 5 of the ’709 patent. The relationship among these patents is depicted in the following figure from the decision. The first filed ’356 patent has a longer patent term due to grant of patent term adjustment (PTA) due to delays caused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during prosecution.  <div data-reactroot=""><img class="rich-text-embed-image" alt="Expiration graphic" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/bltc446430cde1004b1/66be59411257f55a24b40b44/expiration-without-pta.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60"/></div>The district court considered the “first-filed, first-issued” distinction of the ’356 patent at issue to be “immaterial” and, instead, focused only on the patent expiration dates for its ODP analysis based on its reading of In re Cellect, which held that “ODP for a patent that has received PTA, regardless [of] whether or not a terminal disclaimer is required or has been filed, must be based on the expiration date of the patent after PTA has been added.”The Federal Circuit, however, noted that the district court’s reading of In re Cellect was incorrect since the holding of In re Cellect “answered a different question than that at issue here.” The Federal Circuit explained that “[In re] Cellect does not address, let alone resolve, any variation of the question presented here—namely, under what circumstances can a claim properly serve as an ODP reference—and therefore has little to say on the precise issue before us.” Rather, the Federal Circuit noted that its holding in In re Cellect “is only controlling in this case to the extent that it requires us to consider, in our ODP analysis, the ’356 patent’s June 24, 2026 expiration date (i.e., the expiration date after the addition of PTA), not the March 24, 2025 expiration date that it would have shared with the ’011 and ’709 reference patents in the absence of a PTA award.” The Federal Circuit further explained that its holding “is the only conclusion consistent with the purpose of the ODP doctrine, which is to prevent patentees from obtaining a second patent on a patentably indistinct invention to effectively extend the life of a first patent to that subject matter.”The Federal Circuit clarified that “the fact that the ’356 patent expires later is of no consequence here because it is not a ‘second, later expiring patent for the same invention” and that “[a]s the first-filed, first-issued patent in its family, [the ’356 patent] is the patent that sets the maximum period of exclusivity for the claimed subject matter and any patentably indistinct variants.”This decision clarifies the scope of the doctrine of ODP following last year’s In re Cellect decision by establishing that the filing and issuance dates of a patent are relevant to an ODP analysis. This decision also clarifies that applicants are entitled to PTA caused by delays of the USPTO during prosecution of a first-filed patent application, no matter when the first patent issues or how long the PTA extends the life of the patent. This decision is important because, as recognized by the Federal Circuit, a first-filed application often requires “greater time and effort by the applicant and examiner alike” and, thus, is often awarded PTA; whereas, a later-filed continuing application “proceeds much more efficiently through prosecution” and, thus, is more likely to receive little or no award of PTA. Accordingly, this decision removes the risk of invalidation by ODP over a later-filed, later-issued, earlier-expiring reference claim having a common priority date.

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Jeffrey Schmidt

Federal Circuit Clarifies Scope of Obviousness-type Double Patenting in Allergan Usa V. Msn Laboratories