2. Dr. D’vorah
About the Speaker –
Graeser
Founder & Partner Founder & CEO
IP consulting and business development, including
preparing and filing patent applications
PhD in Pharmacology, 4 years with the Human Genome
Project (post-docs)
Previously Vice President (Intellectual Property) of
Compugen (March 2004 – March 2006)
3. DISCLAIMER
Nothing in this presentation or in any
material provided, whether verbally or in
writing, constitutes legal or patent advice
7. What is FTO?
Freedom to operate – ability to make, sell,
use, export, import etc a product
Even if you have a patent, you may not have
FTO
FTO may be blocked by a single patent
or multiple patents
Enbrel- example of submarine patent
Process patents may expire later in US
8. Submarine patents
Last Enbrel patent issued in 2011
Not publicly available before that time
Delayed in patent process
Valid until 2018
No more submarines?
Law changed in 1995
9. Process patents – 271(e)(1)
Safe harbor – may infringe patent in
process of preparing submission to FDA
Only for approval - Classen v. Biogen IDEC
Also for post-approval activities - Momenta
Pharms. v. Amphastar Pharms
May go to US Supreme Court
Example – process patents covering
analytical methods
11. Patents and FDA process
Originator provides list of relevant patents
that may be infringed by biosimilar applicant
No Orange Book
Applicant - patents invalid or not
infringed
Originator provides counter-arguments
Applicant notifies originator 180 days
before marketing
13. What are trade secrets?
Commercially valuable information that a
company protects through secrecy
Example – Coca-Cola® formulation
Example – manufacturing process for a
biological drug
Analytical tests, purification process, etc
Patents vs trade secrets
14. Manufacturing Processes
and FDA – trade secrets I
Biosimilar applicant may include any
publicly available information
Relevant law – section 351(k) of the PHS
FDA stated that public information
includes documents from BLA action
package (key documents)
But under FOIA, additional information
may be released
15. Manufacturing Processes
and FDA – trade secrets II
Biosimilar applicant’s trade secrets may be
released to originator through application
Relevant law – BPCIA
Biosimilar applicant must give copy of application to
originator within 20 days of notification of acceptance
by FDA
Applicant must state why patents are not
infringed or are invalid
Including manufacturing process patents
17. Conclusions
Current FDA process is unsettled
Effect of process patents unclear
Trade secret protection uncertain
Beware of submarines!
18. Looking forward to speaking
with you!
Feel free to contact us:
Graeser Associates International Inc
70 West Madison, Suite 1400, Chicago, IL
Tel: 312-214-3775
E-mail: dgraeser@gai-ip.com
Website: <http://www.gai-ip.com/>