throbber
Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 1 of 17 PageID #: 516
`
`
`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
`
`BAYER HEALTHCARE LLC and BAYER
`HEALTHCARE PHARMACEUTICALS
`INC.,
`
`
`
`
`
`TEVA PHARMACEUTICALS USA, INC.,
`et al.,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Plaintiffs,
`
`
`
`v.
`
`
`
`Defendants.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`C.A. No. 16-1221 (LPS)
`CONSOLIDATED
`
`
`
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`
`John W. Shaw (No. 3362)
`Karen E. Keller (No. 4489)
`David M. Fry (No. 5486)
`SHAW KELLER LLP
`I.M. Pei Building
`1105 North Market Street, 12th Floor
`Wilmington, DE 19801
`(302) 298-0700
`jshaw@shawkeller.com
`kkeller@shawkeller.com
`dfry@shawkeller.com
`Attorneys for Defendant
`
`DEFENDANTS’ OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`OF COUNSEL:
`Mark D. Schuman
`Todd S. Werner
`Samuel T. Lockner
`Jennell C. Bilek
`Shelleaha L. Jonas
`Alexandra J. Olson
`Nathan D. Louwagie
`CARLSON, CASPERS, VANDENBURGH,
` LINDQUIST & SCHUMAN, P.A.
`225 South Sixth Street
`Capella Tower, Suite 4200
`Minneapolis, MN 55402
`(612) 436-9600
`
`Dated: June 13, 2018
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 2 of 17 PageID #: 517
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1
`
`STATEMENT OF FACTS ................................................................................................ 1
`
`THE DISPUTED CLAIM TERMS .................................................................................... 3
`
`LEGAL PRINCIPLES FOR CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ................................................ 5
`
`THE LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART........................................................ 6
`
`
`
`I.
`
`II.
`
`III.
`
`IV.
`
`V.
`
`VI.
`
`THE COURT SHOULD ADOPT THE DEFINITION OF
`“AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT” THAT THE INVENTORS
`PROVIDED IN THE SPECIFICATION ............................................................................ 7
`
`
`VII. THE SPECIFICATION DEFINED THE INVENTION AS
`INVOLVING THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH
`ACQUIRED RESISTANCE ............................................................................................... 9
`
`VIII. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 12
`
`
`
`
`
`
`i
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 3 of 17 PageID #: 518
`
`
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`Cases
`Multiform Desiccants, Inc. v. Medzam Ltd.,
`133 F.3d 1473 (Fed. Cir. 1998) ................................................................................................ 9
`Phillips v. AWH Corp.,
`415 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc) .......................................................... 1, 9, 10, 11, 12
`
`
`
`Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. v. Mylan Pharm., Inc., 456 F.Supp.2d 644, 653 (D.N.J. 2006)
`
`(citation omitted), aff’d, 233 Fed. Appx. 999 (Fed. Cir. 2007)…………….……………7
`
`ICU Med., Inc. v. Alaris Med. Sys., 558 F.3d 1368 (Fed. Cir. 2009)…………………………….6
`
`Koepnick Med. & Educ. Research Found. v. Alcon Labs.,
`
`
`
`162 F. App’x 967 (Fed. Cir. 2005)………………………………………………………6
`
`Intel Corp. v. VIA Techs., 319 F.3d 1357 (Fed. Cir. 2003)………………………..……………..6
`
`Multiform Desiccants, Inc. v. Medzam Ltd., 133 F.3d 1473 (Fed. Cir. 1998)………..………..…7
`
`Vitronics Corp. v. Conceptronic, 90 F.3d 1576 (Fed. Cir. 1996)………………………..………7
`
`Sinorgchem Co. v. ITC, 511 F.3d 1132 (Fed. Cir. 2007)................................................................8
`
`Cultor Corp. v. A.E. Staley Mfg. Co., 224 F . 3d 1328 (Fed. Cir. 2000)…………………………8
`
` PDL Biopharma, Inc. v. Alexion Pharm., Inc., 568 F. Supp. 2d 445 (D. Del. 2008) (same)…….8
`
`Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Merck & Co, Civil Action No. 14-1131-GMS,
`
`
`
`ECF 189, slip op. (D. Del. Jun. 6, 2016)………………………………………………..8, 9
`
`Pacing Techs., LLC v. Garmin Int'l, Inc., 778 F.3d 1021 (Fed. Cir. 2015)……………………..10
`
`Regents of the Univ. of Minn. v. AGA Med. Corp., 717 F.3d 929 (Fed. Cir. 2013)……………10
`
`Verizon Servs. Corp. v. Vonage Holdings Corp., 503 F.3d 1295 (Fed. Cir. 2007)……………..10
`
`Honeywell Int’l, Inc. v. ITT Indus., 452 F.3d 1312 (Fed. Cir. 2006) ……………………..…10,11
`
`Meds. Co. v. Mylan, Inc., 853 F.3d 1296 (Fed. Cir. 2017)…………………………………..….10
`
`Retractable Techs., Inc. v. Becton, Dickinson & Co., 653 F.3d 1296 (Fed. Cir. 2011)…………10
`
`Poly-America, L.P. v. API Indus., Inc., 839 F.3d 1131 (Fed. Cir. 2016)………………………..11
`
`
`
`ii
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 4 of 17 PageID #: 519
`
`
`
`Arris Grp., Inc. v. Mobile Telecomms. Techs., LLC,
`
`
`
`265 F. Supp. 3d 454 (D. Del. 2017)………………………………………………….….12
`
`
`
`iii
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 5 of 17 PageID #: 520
`
`
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`Defendant Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., submits this Opening Claim Construction
`
`Brief pursuant to paragraph 12 of the Court’s Scheduling Order (ECF 20). Of the four asserted
`
`patents, the parties disagree on the construction of two terms, both of which are found in the
`
`claims of U.S. Patent No. 8,680,124 (“the ʼ124 patent”). The parties agree that these terms can
`
`be construed without resorting to extrinsic evidence, leaving the Court with the task of
`
`determining which construction “stays true to the claim language and most naturally aligns with
`
`the patent’s description of the invention.” Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1316 (Fed.
`
`Cir. 2005). Teva’s constructions, which are taken directly from the inventors’ written
`
`description of their invention, readily accomplish that objective. In contrast, Bayer asks the
`
`Court to construe the terms more broadly than what is supported by the specification. The Court
`
`should adopt Teva’s proposed constructions, which are the most faithful to the intrinsic evidence.
`
`II.
`
`STATEMENT OF FACTS
`
`
`
`This patent infringement lawsuit arises under the Hatch-Waxman Act, and involves four
`
`patents listed in the Orange Book for regorafenib, a drug sold under the brand name Stivarga®.
`
`Stivarga® is indicated for, inter alia, treatment of patients with certain forms of gastrointestinal
`
`stromal tumors (GIST) who have been previously treated with imatinib mesylate and sunitinib
`
`malate. Stivarga® is administered as a tablet containing regorafenib.
`
`
`
`The only patent containing disputed claim terms, the ’124 patent, is entitled “Treatment
`
`of Cancers with Acquired Resistance to KIT Inhibitors,” and issued on March 25, 2014. The
`
`asserted claims of the ’124 patent are generally directed to methods of treating certain cancers by
`
`administering an effective amount of regorafenib, identified as 4{4-[3-(4-chloro-3-
`
`
`
`1
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 6 of 17 PageID #: 521
`
`
`
`trifluoromethylphenyl)-ureido]-3-fluorophenoxy}-pyridine-2-carboxylic acid methylamide of
`
`formula I (depicted below).
`
`
`
`
`
`In summarizing the prior art, the inventors of the ’124 patent explain that, “[k]inase
`
`[(“KIT”)] inhibitors are being used successfully to treat cancers . . . .” (Col. 1:64-65.) One KIT
`
`inhibitor that was successfully being used is DAST, or imatinib, a KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
`
`(Col. 2:20-22.) Imatinib was known to be a very effective anti-cancer agent in the prior art, and
`
`remains a first line therapy drug product to this day. (See col. 1:64-66.)
`
`But imatinib therapy does have limitations. As explained in the written description,
`
`“[t]here [were] a number of well-documented instances where cancers have acquired resistance
`
`to a kinase inhibitor which previously had successfully been used to treat the cancer.” (Col.
`
`2:12-15; see also col. 1:66-67 (“However, some patients acquire resistance to the drug’s
`
`activity.”).) The inventors defined “resistance” in the specification to mean when “the cancer
`
`becomes resistant and/or substantially less responsive to the effects of the drug after being
`
`exposed to it for a certain period of time.” (Col. 2:12-17.)1 In other words, after a tumor has
`
`been subjected to imatinib therapy for a period of time, its response to the therapy often begins to
`
`diminish or cease altogether.
`
`After describing this problem, the specification defines “the present invention” as the use
`
`of regorafenib “to treat a cancer, . . . such as those mentioned above, which have acquired
`
`resistance to a KIT inhibitor.” (Col. 4:47-50.)
`
`1 The term “acquired resistance,” appears in a number of asserted claims. The parties stipulated
`that this term shall be construed according to the definition the inventors set forth in the written
`description.
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 7 of 17 PageID #: 522
`
`
`
`
`
`Bayer has asserted infringement of claims 1-4 and 29-31 of the ’124 patent. Claims 1
`
`and 29 are generally directed to a method of treating a cancer wherein the cancer was initially
`
`sensitive to a KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor and “acquired resistance” to said KIT tyrosine kinase
`
`inhibitor, comprising administering an effective amount of regorafenib. Claims 2 and 4, which
`
`depend from claim 1, clarify that the drug to which the cancer has acquired resistance is imatinib.
`
`Claim 3 narrows the lists of cancers which may be treated, including cancerous gastrointestinal
`
`stromal tumors (GIST).
`
`
`
`The other asserted claims, independent claims 30 and 31, are generally directed to a
`
`method of treating a malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) or a benign gastrointestinal
`
`stromal tumor (GIST) “in a subject who has been treated with imatinib,” comprising
`
`administering to the subject an effective amount of regorafenib.
`
`III.
`
`THE DISPUTED CLAIM TERMS
`
`
`
`As discussed, the parties dispute the construction of two terms. With respect to the first
`
`term, “effective amount,” the parties agree with a portion of the construction, but Teva believes
`
`Bayer’s construction incompletely reflects the inventors’ definition of that term, resulting in
`
`needless ambiguity about the scope of the claim. With respect to the second term, “a subject
`
`who has been treated with imatinib,” the parties disagree whether that term should be construed
`
`to require the cancer to have developed acquired resistance to a KIT inhibitor. More specifically,
`
`the parties disagree whether statements made by the inventors characterizing “the present
`
`invention,” serve to limit the scope of the claims.
`
`The disputed terms and the parties’ proposed constructions are:
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`3
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 8 of 17 PageID #: 523
`
`Bayer’s Proposed Construction
`
`Teva’s Proposed Construction
`
`
`an amount that is effective to
`combat, alleviate, reduce, relieve,
`or improve one or more of the
`symptoms associated with a
`cancer, including but not limited to
`amounts that cause tumor
`regression, cell death, apoptosis,
`necrosis; inhibit cell proliferation;
`tumor growth, tumor metastasis,
`tumor migration, tumor invasion;
`reduce disease progression;
`stabilize the disease; reduce or
`inhibit angiogenesis; prolong
`patient survival; enhance quality
`of life; and/or reduce the
`frequency, severity, intensity, and/
`or duration of any adverse
`symptoms or activities.
`
`
` a
`
` subject that is resistant and/or
`substantially less responsive to the
`effects of imatinib compared to
`that subject’s initial
`responsiveness to imatinib
`
`
`
`
`Claim
`Term/Phrase
`
`Claims 1, 29-31
`“an effective
`amount”
`
`
`an amount which is effective to
`treat any symptom or aspect of the
`cancer or the tumor
`
`
`
` a
`
` subject who has been treated with
`imatinib (no construction
`necessary)
`
`
`Claims 30, 31
`“a subject who has
`been treated with
`imatinib”
`
`
`
`Teva has advanced a number of defenses to Bayer’s claims of patent infringement. One
`
`defense Teva asserts is that it will not induce infringement of the asserted claims of the ’124
`
`patent because all claims are directed to subjects who have “acquired resistance” to imatinib and
`
`Teva’s product labeling does not instruct physicians to do so.
`
`
`
`4
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 9 of 17 PageID #: 524
`
`
`
`Teva has also asserted a number of invalidity defenses with respect to the asserted claims
`
`of the ’124 patent.2 Included amongst these defenses, Teva has asserted defenses for failure to
`
`satisfy the written description and enablement requirements under 35 U.S.C. § 112. To the
`
`extent Plaintiffs contend the prior art lacked sufficient data to give a person of ordinary skill in
`
`the art (“POSA”) a reasonable expectation that regorafenib was suitable for use in the claimed
`
`invention, Teva does not believe the information provided in the written description of the patent
`
`would have indicated to a POSA that the inventors were in possession of the invention. Nor
`
`would the written description have provided the POSA with a sufficient scientific basis to
`
`reasonably expect that the claimed invention would work. The construction of the term
`
`“effective amount,” will help to frame the parties’ dispute over these defenses by clarifying what
`
`the claims require the method to accomplish from a therapeutic perspective.
`
`IV.
`
`LEGAL PRINCIPLES FOR CLAIM CONSTRUCTION
`
`Claim terms are to be construed from the perspective of one of ordinary skill in the art
`
`(“POSA”) at the time that the patent application was filed. Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d
`
`1303, 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc).
`
`The claim construction analysis begins with the claim language itself, i.e., the language
`
`the patentee chose to particularly point out and distinctly claim as its invention. Phillips, 415
`
`F.3d at 1312-13. The Federal Circuit emphasized in Phillips, however, that the claims do not
`
`stand alone. Id. at 1315. Instead, the claims “must be read in view of the specification, of which
`
`they are a part.” Id. “[T]he specification is always highly relevant to the claim construction
`
`analysis. Usually, it is dispositive; it is the single best guide to the meaning of a disputed term.”
`
`
`2 Teva believes that certain claim terms of the ’124 patent are indefinite, such as the term “an
`effective amount.” The parties agreed that they will not brief indefiniteness as part of claim
`construction.
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 10 of 17 PageID #: 525
`
`
`Id. (citation omitted); see ICU Med., Inc. v. Alaris Med. Sys., 558 F.3d 1368, 1374 (Fed. Cir.
`
`2009) (“[N]ot only is the written description helpful in construing claim terms, but it is also
`
`appropriate to rely heavily on the written description for guidance as to the meaning of the
`
`claims”) (internal quotations omitted).
`
`In addition to the specification, a court will “also consider the patent’s prosecution
`
`history.” Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1317. In this case, however, neither party has identified any
`
`excerpts in the prosecution history as informing the proposed claim construction. (ECF No. 52
`
`(Jt. Claim Construction Chart).)
`
`Finally, the Court may also consider extrinsic evidence, such as treatises and dictionaries,
`
`to better understand the background of the technology at issue and what those skilled in the art
`
`typically understand a claim term to mean, but only to the extent such evidence is consistent with
`
`the intrinsic evidence. Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1318. But when, as here, the meaning of a claim
`
`term is clear based on review of the intrinsic record, it is unnecessary to consider any extrinsic
`
`evidence. See Koepnick Med. & Educ. Research Found. v. Alcon Labs., 162 F. App’x 967, 972
`
`(Fed. Cir. 2005) (“[B]ecause the intrinsic evidence was sufficient to support the claim
`
`construction, it was not necessary to consider extrinsic evidence.”); Intel Corp. v. VIA Techs.,
`
`319 F.3d 1357, 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“When an analysis of intrinsic evidence resolves any
`
`ambiguity in a disputed claim term, it is improper to rely on extrinsic evidence to contradict the
`
`meaning so ascertained.”)
`
`V.
`
`THE LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
`
`As discussed, claim terms must be construed from the perspective of a POSA as of the
`
`filing date of the patent in suit. Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1313. With respect to the ’124 patent, a
`
`POSA would be someone having an advanced degree, such as a Ph.D., in medicinal chemistry,
`
`biochemistry, and/or pharmacology, along with several years of experience developing new
`6
`
`
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 11 of 17 PageID #: 526
`
`
`anticancer drugs and drug products. The person would regularly peruse the relevant literature
`
`including, but not limited to, peer-reviewed publications, books, monographs and patents. The
`
`person of ordinary skill would likely be part of, or communicate closely with, a drug
`
`development team that includes a medicinal chemist, biochemist, pharmacologist, and/or
`
`oncologist, as well as the performance of preclinical and clinical testing, to the extent she was
`
`not educated and experienced in such disciplines. See, e.g., Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. v.
`
`Mylan Pharm., Inc., 456 F.Supp.2d 644, 653 (D.N.J. 2006) (citation omitted), aff’d, 233 Fed.
`
`Appx. 999 (Fed. Cir. 2007).
`
`VI.
`
`
`
`
`THE COURT SHOULD ADOPT THE DEFINITION OF “AN EFFECTIVE
`AMOUNT” THAT THE INVENTORS PROVIDED IN THE SPECIFICATION
`
`Claims 1 and 29-31 are directed to the administration of “an effective amount” of
`
`regorafenib. The parties agree that the construction of “an effective amount” should identify
`
`what it means to be effective. Plaintiffs’ construction fails to answer this question, while Teva’s
`
`construction embraces the inventors’ definition of what it means to be effective.
`
`
`
`“When the specification explains and defines a term used in the claims, without
`
`ambiguity or incompleteness, there is no need to search further for the meaning of the term.”
`
`Multiform Desiccants, Inc. v. Medzam Ltd., 133 F.3d 1473, 1478 (Fed. Cir. 1998); Vitronics
`
`Corp. v. Conceptronic, 90 F.3d 1576, 1582 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (“(t)he specification acts as a
`
`dictionary when it expressly defines terms used in the claims”). That is exactly what the
`
`inventors did here.
`
`In the written description of the ’124 patent, the inventors defined the term “effective
`
`amount” to mean “the amount of DAST which is effective to treat any symptom or aspect of the
`
`cancer.” (Col. 6, ll. 4-6.) The inventors went on to identify “aspects” of cancer that can be
`
`“treated” using the invention:
`
`
`
`7
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 12 of 17 PageID #: 527
`
`
`Administering effective amounts of DAST can treat one or more aspects of the cancer
`disease, including, but not limited to, causing tumor regression; causing cell death;
`causing apoptosis; causing necrosis; inhibiting cell proliferation; inhibiting tumor
`growth; inhibiting tumor metastasis; inhibiting tumor migration; inhibiting tumor
`invasion; reducing disease progression; stabilizing the disease; reducing or inhibiting
`angiogenesis; prolonging patient survival; enhancing patient's quality of life; reducing
`adverse symptoms associated with cancer; and reducing the frequency, severity, intensity,
`and/or duration of any of the aforementioned aspects.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`(Col. 6:4-24.) In making these statements, the inventors explained to POSAs what a dose of
`
`regorafenib must accomplish in order to be considered an “effective amount.” Therefore, the
`
`Court should adopt the inventors’ definition, which identifies aspects of the cancer that must be
`
`treated in order for a dose to be considered “an effective amount.” See, e..g, Sinorgchem Co. v.
`
`ITC, 511 F.3d 1132, 1136-1138 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (“a definition set forth in the specification
`
`governs the meaning of the claims”); Cultor Corp. v. A.E. Staley Mfg. Co., 224 F . 3d 1328,
`
`1330-1331 (Fed. Cir. 2000)(adopting construction based on statement in the specification that
`
`“explicitly defined [the disputed claim] term”); PDL Biopharma, Inc. v. Alexion Pharm., Inc.,
`
`568 F. Supp. 2d 445, 452 (D. Del. 2008) (same).
`
`This Court’s decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Merck & Co., involved the same
`
`claim construction disputed presented by this case and supports Teva’s construction. Civil
`
`Action No. 14-1131-GMS, ECF 189, slip op. at 2-3 (D. Del. Jun. 6, 2016) (Exhibit A). In
`
`Bristol-Myers, the parties disputed the construction of the term “pharmaceutically effective
`
`amount.” Id. Bristol-Myers proposed a construction of “[a]n amount sufficient to exert the
`
`pharmacological action of the drug.” The defendant believed this definition was needlessly
`
`ambiguous because “[w]ithout a construction of the ‘treat’ terms, one does not know what a
`
`pharmacological action is.” Id. at n.2. So the defendant proposed a construction of “amount
`
`sufficient to reduce proliferation or metastasis of cancer cells . . . .” Id. at n.2. The Court agreed
`
`with the defendant and rejected Bristol-Meyer’s proposed construction, which omitted reference
`
`
`
`8
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 13 of 17 PageID #: 528
`
`
`to any treatment outcomes. Id. Since the defendant’s “proposed construction is consistent with
`
`the claims and the specification,” the court adopted it to “ensure that there is no confusion about
`
`the meaning of the claim term.” Id. That is exactly what the Court should do here.
`
`Bayer has not offered any reason for the Court to reach a different outcome. Teva asked
`
`Bayer on a number of occasions to identify what aspect of Teva’s proposed construction Bayer
`
`believed to be inaccurate or incomplete. See Exhibit B at 1; Exhibit C. Bayer never identified
`
`anything it believed to be inaccurate. Instead, Bayer contended that the specification sets forth a
`
`definition and Teva’s construction alters that definition. Id. at 3. But Teva’s construction was
`
`taken directly from the specification. It appears that Bayer would just prefer to leave the
`
`construction vague. There is no reason to do so when the inventors explained what “effective
`
`amounts” accomplish. Bristol-Myers, slip op. at 2-3. Accordingly, the Court should adopt the
`
`inventors’ complete construction of the term “effective amount” and eliminate the unnecessary
`
`ambiguity embraced by Bayer’s definition. After all, Bayer is unable to identify any aspect of
`
`Teva’s proposed construction that inaccurately characterizes the scope of the claims of the ’124
`
`patent.
`
`VII. THE SPECIFICATION DEFINED THE INVENTION AS INVOLVING THE
`TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ACQUIRED RESISTANCE
`
`
`
`Claims 30 and 31 are directed to a method of treating GIST in “a subject who has been
`
`treated with imatinib.” These claims differ from the other asserted claims, which are limited to
`
`the treatment of a “cancer [that] was initially sensitive to KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor and
`
`acquired resistance to said KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor.” These differences are of no
`
`consequence, however, because the inventors confirmed that “the present invention” is limited to
`
`the treatment of patients with “acquired resistance.”
`
`
`
`9
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 14 of 17 PageID #: 529
`
`
`The Federal Circuit has repeatedly held that inventors are bound by statements in the
`
`specification that identify the “the present invention” as involving a particular feature. For
`
`example, in Pacing Techs., LLC v. Garmin Int'l, Inc., the parties disputed whether the claims
`
`required a particular feature. 778 F.3d 1021 (Fed. Cir. 2015). The court acknowledged that the
`
`plain and ordinary meaning of the disputed claim language did not require the feature. Id. at
`
`1024. But, the specification dictated a limiting construction because it identified the feature as
`
`part of “the present invention.” Id.; see also Regents of the Univ. of Minn. v. AGA Med. Corp.,
`
`717 F.3d 929, 936 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (“[w]hen a patent thus describes the features of the ‘present
`
`invention’ as a whole, this description limits the scope of the invention”); Verizon Servs. Corp. v.
`
`Vonage Holdings Corp., 503 F.3d 1295, 1308 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (holding that the district court
`
`erred in failing to require a claim term to require a feature identified as part of the “present
`
`invention” in the specification); Honeywell Int’l, Inc. v. ITT Indus., 452 F.3d 1312, 1318 (Fed.
`
`Cir. 2006) (limiting the claim term “fuel injection system component” to a “fuel filter” because
`
`“fuel filter” was identified as being part of “this invention” or “the present invention” at least
`
`four times in the written description); Meds. Co. v. Mylan, Inc., 853 F.3d 1296, 1300-01, 1304
`
`(Fed. Cir. 2017) (limiting claim to particular process where the written description identified that
`
`process as part “of the invention,” even though the disputed claim language did not otherwise
`
`require limitation); Retractable Techs., Inc. v. Becton, Dickinson & Co., 653 F.3d 1296, 1305
`
`(Fed. Cir. 2011) (limiting the scope of a term where the specification “expressly recit[ed] that
`
`‘the invention’” had a particular structure). That is precisely what the inventors did here.
`
`In describing the invention in the specification, the inventors consistently defined it as
`
`involving the treatment of “cancers which have acquired resistance.” First, the inventors titled
`
`their patent “Treatment of Cancers with Acquired Resistance to KIT Inhibitors”. Second, the
`
`
`
`10
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 15 of 17 PageID #: 530
`
`
`inventors described “the present invention” as being the treatment of cancers which have
`
`acquired resistance in the specification:
`
` “The present invention provides compositions and uses thereof for treating
`cancers which have acquired resistance to a KIT inhibitor by administering
`effective amounts of DAST…” (Abstract);
`
` “Generally, any cancer having a primary and/or secondary KIT gene mutation
`associated with resistance or acquired resistance to a KIT inhibitor can be treated
`with a compound in accordance with the present invention.” (col. 3:3-6);
`
` “Cancers which are initially sensitive to a KIT inhibitor, but which have acquired
`resistance to it, can be treated in accordance with the present invention.” (col.
`3:42-44);
`
` “[T]he present invention relates to using DAST to treat a cancer, such as those
`mentioned above, which have acquired resistance to a KIT inhibitor, irrespective
`of the molecular mechanism responsible for it.” (col. 4:36-50);
`
` “The ability of DAST to treat a cancer with acquired resistance…” (col. 6:41-
`55).
`
`Third, the sole example disclosing the activity of regorafenib as a treatment for cancer in the
`
`’124 patent was an in vitro study showing the activity of regorafenib on imatinib resistant cell
`
`lines. See ’124 patent, col. 18:36-41.
`
`Not only did the inventors define “the present invention” as involving the treatment of
`
`cancers with acquired resistance, they distinguished the invention from the prior art based on its
`
`efficacy in treating such cancers. (See col. 4:13-49 (explaining that cancers acquire resistance to
`
`prior art KIT inhibitors but that “the present invention relates to using [regorafenib] to treat
`
`cancer, such as those mentioned above, which have acquired resistance to a KIT inhibitor.”
`
`(Col. 4:47-49.)) This too supports Teva’s construction. See, e.g., Poly-America, L.P. v. API
`
`Indus., Inc., 839 F.3d 1131, 1136 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (“an inventor may disavow claims lacking a
`
`particular feature when the specification distinguishes or disparages prior art based on the
`
`absence of that feature”); Honeywell, 452 F.3d at 1318 (“[t]he written description’s detailed
`
`
`
`11
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 16 of 17 PageID #: 531
`
`
`discussion of the prior art problem addressed by the patented invention, viz., leakage of non-
`
`metal fuel filters in EFI systems, further supports the conclusion that the fuel filter is not a
`
`preferred embodiment, but an only embodiment”); Arris Grp., Inc. v. Mobile Telecomms. Techs.,
`
`LLC, 265 F. Supp. 3d 454, 461-64 (D. Del. 2017) (relying on discussion of the prior art problem
`
`in the written description that was addressed by the patented invention, and identification of a
`
`feature as being part of “the present invention,” to limit scope of claim). For all of these reasons,
`
`the Court should construe claims 30 and 31 as being limited to the treatment of cancers that have
`
`acquired resistance (which the parties agree should be construed to mean cancers that “are
`
`resistant and/or substantially less responsive to the effects of imatinib compared to the cancer’s
`
`initial responsiveness to imatinib”).
`
`VIII. CONCLUSION
`
`
`For the reasons stated herein, Teva respectfully request that the Court adopt Teva’s
`
`proposed constructions for the disputed terms.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/s/ Karen E. Keller
`John W. Shaw (No. 3362)
`Karen E. Keller (No. 4489)
`David M. Fry (No. 5486)
`SHAW KELLER LLP
`I.M. Pei Building
`1105 North Market Street, 12th Floor
`Wilmington, DE 19801
`(302) 298-0700
`jshaw@shawkeller.com
`kkeller@shawkeller.com
`dfry@shawkeller.com
`Attorneys for Defendant
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`OF COUNSEL:
`Mark D. Schuman
`Todd S. Werner
`Samuel T. Lockner
`Jennell C. Bilek
`Shelleaha L. Jonas
`Alexandra J. Olson
`Nathan D. Louwagie
`CARLSON, CASPERS, VANDENBURGH,
` LINDQUIST & SCHUMAN, P.A.
`
`
`
`12
`
`

`

`Case 1:16-cv-01221-LPS Document 57 Filed 06/13/18 Page 17 of 17 PageID #: 532
`
`
`225 South Sixth Street
`Capella Tower, Suite 4200
`Minneapolis, MN 55402
`(612) 436-9600
`
`Dated: June 13, 2018
`
`
`
`
`13
`
`

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket