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Paper No. ___
`Date Filed: Dec. 22, 2016
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`___________________
`
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`___________________
`
`WOCKHARDT BIO AG,
`
`Petitioner
`
`
`
`v.
`
`
`
`JANSSEN ONCOLOGY, INC.,
`
`Patent Owner.
`
`___________________
`
`CASE IPR2016-01582
`
`Patent 8,822,438
`
`___________________
`
`
`
`JANSSEN ONCOLOGY INC.’S SURREPLY TO PATENT OWNER
`PRELIMINARY RESPONSE
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`
`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`Wockhardt’s reply fails to acknowledge – much less address – the
`
`discussions between Patent Owner’s counsel, Ms. Reda, and Wockhardt’s V.P. of
`
`Global IP, Dr. Dhanorkar, that demonstrate that Wockhardt and Amerigen are
`
`jointly controlling their IPR filings for their mutual benefit. Wockhardt does not
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`dispute that Dr. Dhanorkar touted Wockhardt’s
`
` Instead, Wockhardt relies on the declaration of a different person
`
`from a different Wockhardt company in New Jersey – Wockhardt USA’s V.P. of
`
`Business Development, Mr. Venkatesan. But his conclusory and irrelevant
`
`statements fail to refute Janssen’s showing. Moreover, there is no indication of
`
`what (if any) investigation Mr. Venkatesan undertook, or whether he even bothered
`
`to talk with Dr. Dhanorkar or anyone at Amerigen.
`
`Wockhardt also attempts to evade the admissions of Dr. Dhanorkar by
`
`attempting to invoke Fed. R. Evid. 408, even though that rule does not apply to the
`
`RPI issue present here.
`
`Wockhardt bears the burden of justifying its omission of Amerigen as an
`
`RPI, but has not done so. Given the undisputed statements of Dr. Dhanorkar,
`
`1
`
`
`
`

`
`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`Wockhardt should not be allowed to avoid identifying Amerigen as an RPI. To do
`
`so would create a loophole for others to exploit, thereby encouraging the very
`
`behavior the RPI requirements were intended to deter – harassment and “second
`
`bites.”
`
`I. Wockhardt Does Not Credibly Contradict its Own Statements
`Demonstrating that Amerigen Is an RPI
`
`At this preliminary stage, the “petitioner bears the burden of showing
`
`compliance with the threshold requirement of § 315(b).” Johnson Health Tech Co.
`
`Ltd. v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., IPR2014-01242, Paper 16 at 4 (Feb. 11, 2015).
`
`But Wockhardt has not done so. Instead, Wockhardt counters with a host of
`
`largely irrelevant and unsupported allegations about formal corporate relationships
`
`and the supposed absence of “financial dealings” or contracts between itself and
`
`Amerigen. But this ignores the fact that “control” with respect to the RPI inquiry
`
`need not be “overt.” Instead, “control” can be established by circumstantial
`
`evidence. See Patent Owner Prelim. Response (Paper 13) at 9.
`
`Here the undisputed evidence demonstrates that Wockhardt and Amerigen
`
`are more than just “codefendants” (Reply to Prelim. Response (Paper 22) at 1) in a
`
`patent lawsuit. Dr. Dhanorkar’s own statements indicate that Wockhardt and
`
` Ex. 2003 (Reda Dec.) at ¶¶ 3-10.
`
`2
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`
`
`
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`
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`Amerigen
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`
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`

`
`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`, Amerigen clearly
`
`exercised control over the present proceeding. Whether the relationship between
`
`Amerigen and Wockhardt was formalized in a written agreement is irrelevant.
`
`Indeed, the declaration of Wockhardt USA’s1 Mr. Venkatesan raises more
`
`questions than it answers. It fails to explain the nature of Wockhardt’s
`
`
`
`, or why Dr. Dhanorkar
`
`
`
` if there were no relationship
`
`between the parties with respect to this IPR. Mr. Venkatesan’s declaration also
`
`fails to explain what sort of investigation he conducted before signing the
`
`declaration, and whether he even spoke to Dr. Dhanorkar. And noticeably absent
`
`from Wockhardt’s submission is any declaration from Dr. Dhanorkar himself.
`
`Dr. Dhanorkar’s e-mails and communications with Patent Owner’s counsel
`
`are clear on their face and show that Amerigen is an RPI that should have been
`
`identified in this proceeding. Mr. Venkatesan’s declaration fails to refer to these
`
`communications or even acknowledge them. The declaration should therefore be
`
`accorded no weight.
`
`II.
`
` Wockhardt’s Attempts to Evade the Impact of its Statements to the
`Patent Owner Are Unavailing
`
`None of Wockhardt’s three excuses has any merit.
`
`
`1 http://www.healthnetworkcommunications.com/conference/affordable-
`medicines/speaker-gopalakrishnan-VENKATESAN.stm.
`3
`
`
`
`

`
`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`First, Wockhardt’s reliance on Fed. R. Evid. 408 is misguided. (Paper 22 at
`
`6). As previously pointed out (Paper 13 at 5, n. 4), Patent Owner is not offering
`
`the communications “to prove or disprove the validity or amount of a disputed
`
`claim,” as proscribed by Rule 408. Nor are the communications being offered for
`
`purposes of impeachment of the testimony of Dr. Dhanorkar or anyone else.
`
`Instead, the sole purpose here is to demonstrate Wockhardt’s noncompliance with
`
`the RPI requirement. Rule 408 simply does not apply. See Amneal Pharms. LLC
`
`v. Jazz Pharms., Inc., IPR2015-00545, Paper 38 at 5-6 (Sept. 18, 2015).
`
`Second, Wockhardt argues that the communications between Dr. Dhanorkar
`
`and Ms. Reda do not demonstrate that Amerigen and Wockhardt “funded” each
`
`other’s IPRs. (Paper 22 at 6). But this is irrelevant. Financing an IPR is not the
`
`same as controlling one. Evidence of financing is not a requirement for
`
`determining that an unidentified party is an RPI. See Paramount Home
`
`Entertainment Inc. v. Nissim Corp., IPR2014-00961, Paper 11 at 7-11 (Dec. 29,
`
`2014). Likewise, the argument that Amerigen and Wockhardt are “separate
`
`corporate entities” is irrelevant. The RPI inquiry does not turn on the “relationship
`
`between parties.” Aruze Gaming Macau, Ltd. v. MGT Gaming, Inc., IPR2014-
`
`01288, Paper 13 at 11 (Feb. 20, 2015). What matters is control. Wockhardt’s bald
`
`denial of control, supported only by Mr. Venkatesan’s declaration, is simply not
`
`4
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`
`
`

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`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`credible in view of the undisputed contrary evidence found in Dr. Dhanorkar’s
`
`undisputed statements.
`
`Third, Wockhardt’s attempt to cast Dr. Dhanorkar’s role as merely
`
`presenting a settlement proposal on behalf of Amerigen and Wockhardt (Paper 22
`
`at 7) is belied by the actual communications. While settlement may have been the
`
`ultimate goal, the facts show that
`
`
`
` for the mutual benefit of
`
`both parties, as Patent Owner has already explained. See Patent Owner Prelim.
`
`Resp. (Paper 13) at 5-7 and 10-15.
`
`, Amerigen
`
`exercised control over this IPR. If it were otherwise, then Dr. Dhanorkar could not
`
`have
`
`
`
`
`
` means
`
`that Amerigen indeed was exercising control.
`
`As Patent Owner has explained, Wockhardt’s petition is an attempt to
`
`“game” the system in order to take a “second bite at the apple.” Wockhardt has
`
`failed to meet its burden of establishing otherwise.
`
`III. Conclusion
`
`The Board should deny institution of the Wockhardt Petition for failure to
`
`5
`
`comply with §312(a)(2).
`
`
`
`

`
`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`Dated: December 22, 2016
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`
`By: /Dianne B. Elderkin/
`Dianne B. Elderkin (Reg. No. 28,598)
`delderkin@akingump.com
`Barbara L. Mullin (Reg. No. 38,250)
`bmullin@akingump.com
`Ruben H. Munoz (Reg. No. 66,998)
`rmunoz@akingump.com
`AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER
`& FELD LLP
`Two Commerce Square
`2001 Market Street, Suite 4100
`Philadelphia, PA 19103
`Tel: (215) 965-1200
`Fax: (215) 965-1210
`
`David T. Pritikin (pro hac vice)
`Bindu Donovan (pro hac vice)
`SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP
`787 Seventh Avenue
`New York, NY 10019
`Tel.: (212) 839-5300
`Fax: (212) 839-5599
`ZytigaIPRTeam@sidley.com
`
`Counsel for Patent Owner
`
`6
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`
`IPR2016-01582
`Patent No. 8,822,438
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that a copy of the foregoing Janssen
`
`Oncology, Inc.’s Surreply to Patent Owner Preliminary Response was served on
`
`counsel of record on December 22, 2016 by filing this document through the End-
`
`to-End System, as well as delivering a copy via electronic mail to counsel of record
`
`for the Petitioner and Patent Co-Owner at the following addresses:
`
`Dennies Varughese - dvarughe-PTAB@skgf.com
`Deborah A. Sterling - dsterlin-PTAB@skgf.com
`Christopher M. Gallo - cgallo-PTAB@skgf.com
`
`Anthony C. Tridico - anthony.tridico@finnegan.com
`Jennifer H. Roscetti - jennifer.roscetti@finnegan.com
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`By: /Dianne B. Elderkin/
`Dianne B. Elderkin
`Registration No. 28,598
`Counsel for Patent Owner
`
`7
`
`Date: Dec. 22, 2016

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