throbber
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`
`INNOPHARMA LICENSING, LLC
`
`Petitioner
`
`V.
`
`ASTRAZENECA AB
`
`Patent Owner
`
`
`
`Case IPR2017-OO905
`
`US. Patent 8,466,139 B2
`
`
`DECLARATION OF JOHN F. R. ROBERTSON, M.D. IN SUPPORT OF
`PATENT OWNER’S PRELIMINARY RESPONSE
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 1
`InnoPharma Licensing LLC V. AstraZeneca AB IPR2017-00905
`
`

`

`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`I)
`
`II)
`
`III)
`
`IV)
`
`V)
`
`VI)
`
`INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... .. 1
`
`QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE ............................................... ..1
`
`MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCEEDING ................................. ..5
`
`MY OPINIONS AND THEIR BASES ...................................................... ..6
`
`DOCUlVIENTS CONSIDERED ................................................................ ..7
`
`THE ’ 139 PATENT CLAIMS ................................................................... ..8
`
`VII)
`
`PERSON OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART ..................................... ..9
`
`VIII) LEGAL PRINCIPLES ............................................................................. ..10
`
`IX)
`
`X)
`
`CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ..................................................................... ..11
`
`STATE OF THE RELEVANT ART ....................................................... ..13
`
`A)
`
`B)
`
`C)
`
`D)
`
`Problem To Be Solved ................................................................... ..13
`
`The Prior Art Taught and Provided a Promising Scientific
`Rationale and Experimental Candidates for Many Different
`Systemic Therapy Approaches to Treating Breast Cancer ............ ..18
`
`1)
`
`2)
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) ............ ..18
`
`Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs) .................................................. ..20
`
`Pure Antiestrogens .............................................................. ..23
`
`Other Endocrine Therapies .................................................. ..27
`
`Fulvestrant Was Less Promising Than The Other Available
`Endocrine Agents in 2000 ............................................................. ..28
`
`Fulvestrant Formulations, Schedule And Route Of
`Administration, Optimal Dose and Pharmacokinetics Were
`Not “Established” In The Prior Art ............................................... ..36
`
`XI)
`
`REFERENCES CITED IN THE PETITION ........................................... ..39
`
`A)
`
`Howell 1996 (EX. 1007) ................................................................ ..40
`
`B) McLeskey (EX. 1008) .................................................................... ..48
`
`C)
`
`O’Regan (EX. 1009) ....................................................................... ..51
`
`XII)
`
`THE CLAIMS OF THE ’ 139 PATENT ARE NOT OBVIOUS ............. ..52
`
`A)
`
`Ground One: Howell 1996 ............................................................. ..52
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 2
`
`

`

`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`(continued)
`
`1)
`
`Howell 1996 Would Not Have Been A Logical Starting
`Point: It Left Many Questions Unanswered And Was
`Questioned By Researchers At The Time ........................... ..52
`
`B)
`
`Ground Two: Howell 1996 In Combination With McLeskey ...... ..76
`
`1)
`
`No Reason To Select McLeskey ......................................... ..78
`
`(i) McLeskey Fails To Disclose Nearly All Of The
`Limitations Of The ’139 Patent Claims ....................... ..78
`
`(ii) A Skilled Artisan Would Not Have Considered
`McLeskey Relevant ..................................................... ..81
`
`(iii) McLeskey Is A Study Of Basic Biology Unrelated
`To Treatment ............................................................... ..85
`
`(iv) McLeskey Does Not Teach A Successful
`Fulvestrant Formulation .............................................. ..90
`
`(V)
`
`The Skilled Artisan Would Not Expect The
`Administration Method Of McLeskey To Succeed .... ..95
`
`2)
`
`3)
`
`No Reason To Combine McLeskey With Howell 1996 ..... ..99
`
`No Expectation That This Combination Would
`Successfully Treat Hormone Dependent Breast Cancer
`In Humans ......................................................................... .. 103
`
`C)
`
`Ground Three: Howell 1996 In Combination With McLeskey
`And O’Regan ............................................................................... ..110
`
`l)
`
`O’Regan Adds Nothing And Further Supports That One
`Would Not Use The Formulation In McLeskey ............... ..llO
`
`x111)
`
`OBJECTIVE INDICIA DEMONSTRATE THAT THE CLAIMED
`
`INVENTION IS NONOBVIOUS .......................................................... ..117
`
`A)
`
`B)
`
`Long-Felt Unmet Need ................................................................ ..117
`
`Unexpected Results ..................................................................... ..120
`
`1)
`
`2)
`
`Improved Clinical Outcomes ............................................ .. 122
`
`Improved Side Effect Profile ............................................. ..124
`
`C)
`
`The Invention Method Is The Reason For These Surprising
`Results .......................................................................................... ..128
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 3
`
`

`

`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`(continued)
`
`XIV) CONCLUSION ...................................................................................... .. 139
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 4
`
`

`

`I, John F. R. Robertson, MD., do hereby make the following declaration:
`
`I)
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`I am over the age of eighteen and competent to make this declaration.
`
`I have been retained as an expert witness on behalf of AstraZeneca
`
`AB for the above-captioned inter partes review (IPR).
`
`I am being compensated at
`
`my customary rate of £600 per hour for my consultation in connection with this
`
`matter. My compensation is in no way dependent on the outcome of my analysis
`
`or opinions rendered in this matter. A copy of my curriculum vitae, which
`
`includes my academic background, work experience, and select publications and
`
`presentations, is attached to this declaration as Exhibit A.
`
`II)
`
`QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
`
`3.
`
`My name is John Robertson, MD.
`
`I am a physician specializing in
`
`breast cancer and surgery, and I have Specialist Accreditation in General
`
`Surgery.
`
`I trained and have worked as a general surgeon, focusing primarily on
`
`breast cancer, for thirty-five years, through which I have acquired extensive
`
`clinical experience in breast disease. Since August 1998, I have been Professor
`
`of Surgery at the University of Nottingham, initially based at the City Hospital,
`
`Nottingham (1988 - 2011) and then based at the Royal Derby Hospital, Derby
`
`(2011 - present). Prior to that, since 1992, my appointments included Senior
`
`Lecturer and Reader in Surgery, both based at the City Hospital, Nottingham.
`
`I
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 5
`
`

`

`have clinical experience across the continuum of breast care, from preventive
`
`care for high risk patients and routine screening, to diagnosis and treatment
`
`of primary breast cancer, to diagnosis and treatment of locally advanced and
`
`metastatic disease, to palliative care.
`
`4.
`
`I received my MB. Ch.B. (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of
`
`Surgery), B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) and MD. (in the UK, a postgraduate
`
`research degree in medicine) all from the University of Glasgow.
`
`I also was
`
`awarded F.R.C.S. (Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons) by the Royal
`
`College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
`
`5.
`
`My knowledge concerning the treatment of breast cancer, more
`
`specifically hormonal dependent breast cancer, and the use of hormone (i.e.,
`
`endocrine) therapies has been gained through my training and personal and
`
`professional experiences. More specifically, these experiences include my own
`
`medical practice for over thirty-five years, research that I have conducted (both
`
`laboratory research and clinical trial research), consultancy positions I have held,
`
`and advisory boards and committees that I have served on or been a member of.
`
`In my medical practice, I have gained extensive experience over the last thirty-five
`
`years with every class of approved endocrine agent used to treat hormonal
`
`dependent breast cancer. Over my career, I have treated thousands of women with
`
`hormone dependent breast cancer.
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 6
`
`

`

`6.
`
`In terms of research, I have been involved in both laboratory research
`
`and clinical trials of all major classes of new endocrine therapies in hormonal
`
`dependent breast cancer over thirty years.
`
`I have consulted for and served on or
`
`chaired advisory boards to major pharmaceutical companies researching and
`
`developing drugs for hormonal dependent breast cancer.
`
`7.
`
`One of my major clinical and laboratory research interests is breast
`
`cancer, particularly hormonal dependent, or hormone receptor positive, breast
`
`cancer and the role of endocrine therapy.
`
`I have also had a focus on advanced
`
`disease—both locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. As a surgical
`
`oncologist with both a major clinical and laboratory interest in endocrine and
`
`growth factor therapies, I find myself in a central position providing a link
`
`between surgical and non-surgical (clinical and medical) oncologists, which
`
`ensures seamless continuity of care for patients and a rich base from which
`
`clinical and laboratory research can proceed. At the University of Nottingham,
`
`my group’s interest in systemic therapies has placed it at the vanguard of
`
`surgical units performing pre-surgical (“window of opportunity”) studies which
`
`allows us to combine our skill sets in surgery and systemic therapies into a
`
`translational research program investigating biological changes in breast cancers,
`
`which matches our therapeutic clinical trials in advanced disease. I am currently
`
`one of the three Chief Investigators on the largest trial of peri-operative endocrine
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 7
`
`

`

`therapy in the world (the POETIC trial).
`
`I have been Chief Investigator, or
`
`local Principal Investigator, in a large number of multicenter trials for new
`
`drugs produced by a variety of pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca,
`
`Novartis, Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline, Schering, and Bayer.
`
`8.
`
`I have published extensively in the field of cancer, principally,
`
`although not exclusively, on topics related to cancer of the breast with a
`
`particular focus on hormonal dependent breast cancer and endocrine therapies.
`
`I currently have over 300 peer-reviewed publications. Ihave also published
`
`book chapters on the treatment of breast cancer and a book titled, Endocrine
`
`Therapy of Breast Cancer.
`
`9.
`
`I have attended, over the last thirty years, a large number of
`
`professional oncology conferences, with a primary focus on breast cancer.
`
`I
`
`have presented at a number of professional conferences regarding my research
`
`related to breast cancer.
`
`In addition to presenting laboratory and clinical trial
`
`research, I have given invited lectures at both national and international
`
`conferences.
`
`I am frequently invited to lecture at international cancer meetings.
`
`Between 2009 and September 2016, I gave invited lectures at fifty-five
`
`international cancer meetings, often giving multiple lectures at a single meeting.
`
`One of the major topics of invited lectures has been the treatment of breast cancer
`
`and the use of hormone therapies, otherwise known as endocrine therapies.
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 8
`
`

`

`10.
`
`I am a member of several learned societies, including:
`
`the Society
`
`of Academic and Research Surgery, the British Association of Surgical Oncology,
`
`the Association of Breast Surgery, and the British Association of Cancer Research.
`
`I am also a member, or have been a member, of several scientific committees as
`
`well as committees affiliated with universities and health care centers. Ihave
`
`reviewed manuscripts for a number of journals and was the founding Editor-in-
`
`Chief of the journal, Breast Cancer Online.
`
`11.
`
`I have extensive teaching experience, including in the subject of
`
`breast cancer.
`
`In addition, I have supervised a number of under- and post-
`
`graduate medical trainees and non-clinical scientists, including nearly twenty such
`
`physicians and students during the past five years.
`
`12.
`
`I have significant experience in the areas of breast cancer diagnosis
`
`and treatment, breast cancer clinical trial research, hormonal dependent, or
`
`hormone receptor positive, breast cancer, and hormonal therapies. Therefore, I
`
`believe that I am qualified to render the opinions set forth in this declaration.
`
`13.
`
`In the past four years, I have testified in the following litigation:
`
`AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP v. Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , No. l4-cv-
`
`O3547-RMB-KMW (D.N.J.).
`
`III) MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCEEDING
`
`14.
`
`I have been informed that this proceeding is an inter partes review
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 9
`
`

`

`(“IPR”) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and
`
`Trademark Office (“the Board”).
`
`I have been informed that an IPR is a proceeding
`
`to review the patentability of one or more issued claims in a United States patent
`
`on the grounds that the patent is the same as or rendered obvious in view of the
`
`prior art.
`
`15.
`
`I have been informed that InnoPharma Licensing, LLC
`
`(“InnoPharma”) filed a Petition requesting IPR (“Petition”) of US. Patent No.
`
`8,466,139 (the ’139 Patent”), which issued to John R. Evans and Rosalind U.
`
`Grundy on June 18, 2013 and is assigned to AstraZeneca AB. I have reviewed the
`
`Petition, and understand that it alleges that claims 1, 3, 10-11, 13 and 20 of the
`
`’139 Patent are unpatentable over Howell 1996 (EX. 1007) and, alternatively, over
`
`the combination of Howell 1996 (EX. 1007) with McLeskey (EX. 1008), and the
`
`combination of Howell 1996 (EX. 1007) with McLeskey (EX. 1008) and O’Regan
`
`(EX. 1009).
`
`IV) MY OPINIONS AND THEIR BASES
`
`16.
`
`I have been asked to give my opinion on whether or not a person of
`
`ordinary skill in the art (“POSA”) would understand claims 1, 3, 10-11, 13 and 20
`
`of the ’139 Patent to be rendered obvious by: (1) Howell 1996 (EX. 1007); (2) the
`
`combination of Howell 1996 (EX. 1007) with McLeskey (EX. 1008); or (3) the
`
`combination of Howell 1996 (EX. 1007) with McLeskey (EX. 1008) and O’Regan
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 10
`
`

`

`(Ex. 1009). Most of my opinions herein are a direct repeat of the opinions in my
`
`declaration submitted in support of AstraZeneca’s Preliminary Patent Owner
`
`Response in Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. AstraZeneca AB, Case IPR2016-01325
`
`(P.T.A.B. Oct. 6, 2016) attached hereto for the Board’s convenience as Ex. 2136
`
`(Robertson Mylan Decl.). Critically, and as described in more detail throughout
`
`this declaration, InnoPharma has essentially presented the same evidence as
`
`Mylan. Furthermore, InnoPharma’s experts did not address many of the arguments
`
`in my previous declaration. At the same time, I think it is important to note that
`
`the majority of the opinions in InnoPharma’s expert declarations are conclusory
`
`and/or wholly unsupported by any evidence (e. g., in many instances, full pages of
`
`opinions do not contain a single citation to literature or merely cite to other expert
`
`declarations (similarly unsupported)).
`
`I have tried to note in my declaration (1) the
`
`repetition by InnoPharma of evidence previously considered in the Mylan IPR and
`
`also (2) the lack of support throughout InnoPharma’s declarations, but both are so
`
`pervasive throughout the declarations that I feel it is necessary to highlight upfront.
`
`17.
`
`As part of this opinion, I considered the level of ordinary skill in the
`
`art around January 2000, which represents the filing date of GB 0000313, to which
`
`the ’ 139 Patent claims priority.
`
`V)
`
`DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED
`
`18.
`
`The materials that I have considered, in addition to the exhibits to the
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 11
`
`

`

`Petition, are those cited herein (which are also listed in Exhibit B). My opinions as
`
`stated in this Declaration are based on the understanding of a POSA in the art as
`
`defined below.
`
`VI) THE ’139 PATENT CLAIMS
`
`19.
`
`I have been informed that the priority date of the ’ 139 Patent was
`
`January 10, 2000.
`
`20.
`
`Independent claims 1 and 11 of the ’ 139 Patent are provided below.
`
`1[11]. A method for treating a hormonal dependent
`
`benign or malignant disease of the breast or reproductive tract
`
`comprising administering intramuscularly to a human in need
`
`of
`
`such treatment
`
`a
`
`formulation comprising [consisting
`
`essentially of]:
`
`about 50 mng'1 of fulvestrant;
`
`a mixture of from 17-23% w/v of ethanol and benzyl
`
`alcohol;
`
`12-18% w/v of benzyl benzoate; and
`
`a sufficient amount of castor oil vehicle;
`
`wherein the method achieves a blood plasma fulvestrant
`
`concentration of at least 2.5 nng'1 for at least two weeks.
`
`21. Dependent claims 3, 10, 13 and 20 limit claims 1 and 11 to a method:
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 12
`
`

`

`wherein formulation comprises [consists essentially of]: about 10% w/v of ethanol;
`
`about 10% w/v of benzyl alcohol; and about 15% w/v of benzyl benzoate (claims 3
`
`and 13); and wherein the hormonal dependent benign or malignant disease of the
`
`breast or reproductive tract is breast cancer and the blood plasma fulvestrant
`
`concentration is attained for at least 4 weeks (claims 10 and 20).
`
`VII) PERSON OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
`
`22.
`
`I have been asked to provide my opinion on the novelty and
`
`obviousness of the asserted claims, from the perspective of a person of ordinary
`
`skill in the relevant art. The skilled person with respect to the ’ 139 Patent is a
`
`person having a bachelor’s or advanced degree in a discipline such as pharmacy,
`
`pharmaceutical sciences, endocrinology, medicine or related disciplines, and
`
`having at least two years of practical experience in drug development and/or drug
`
`delivery, or the clinical treatment of hormone dependent diseases of the breast and
`
`reproductive tract. Because the drug discovery and development process is
`
`complicated and multidisciplinary, it would require a team of individuals
`
`including, at least, medical doctors, pharrnacokineticists, and formulators.
`
`23.
`
`As considered from the perspective of the medical doctor member of
`
`that team, the invention of the ’ 139 Patent is novel, and not obvious, for the
`
`following reasons.
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 13
`
`

`

`VIII) LEGAL PRINCIPLES
`
`24.
`
`I am not a lawyer, and I have relied on the explanations of counsel for
`
`an understanding of certain principles of US. patent law that govern the
`
`determination of patentability. The discussion set forth below regarding the law of
`
`obviousness is intended to be illustrative of the legal principles I considered while
`
`preparing my declaration, and not an exhaustive list.
`
`25.
`
`I am informed by counsel that InnoPharma must show unpatentability
`
`by a preponderance of the evidence, and preponderance of the evidence means
`
`“more probable than not.” I understand that to institute an inter partes review
`
`InnoPharma must show that there is a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail in
`
`an inter partes review.
`
`26.
`
`I am informed by counsel that for a patent claim to be invalid as
`
`anticipated by a prior art reference, that reference must disclose every limitation of
`
`the claim. Thus, if the inventions of a patent claim were already disclosed, in their
`
`entirety, by a prior art reference, that claim is anticipated and not novel.
`
`27.
`
`I am informed by counsel that for an invention to be obvious, the
`
`patent statute requires that the differences between the invention and the prior art
`
`be such that the “subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time
`
`the invention was made to a person of ordinary skill in the art to which such
`
`subject matter pertains.”
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 14
`
`

`

`28.
`
`I understand that the obviousness evaluation must be from the
`
`perspective of the time the invention was made. The obviousness inquiry must
`
`guard against slipping into use of hindsight.
`
`29.
`
`I understand that even in circumstances where each component of an
`
`invention can be found in the prior art, there must have been an apparent reason to
`
`combine the known elements in the fashion claimed by the patent at issue. For an
`
`invention to be found obvious, to protect against the distortion caused by hindsight
`
`bias, there must be a reason that would have prompted a person of ordinary skill in
`
`the relevant field to combine the elements in the way the claimed new invention
`
`does.
`
`30.
`
`For the method of treatment to be obvious, it must have been among a
`
`finite number of identified, predictable solutions to the problems at hand.
`
`3 1.
`
`For the reasons explained below, in my opinion, InnoPharma has not
`
`shown that there is a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail in an inter partes
`
`review of claims 1, 3, 10-1 1, l3 and 20 of the ’139 patent.
`
`IX) CLAIM CONSTRUCTION
`
`32.
`
`All of the claims of the ’ 139 Patent are expressly directed to methods
`
`of treatment. The methods of treatment include choice of an active ingredient, a
`
`method of administration (i.e. , a combination of excipients and active injected
`
`intramuscularly), and the amount of the active to be delivered to the blood in a
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 15
`
`

`

`sustained release fashion to treat hormonal dependent disease of the breast and
`
`reproductive tract.
`
`33. A medical doctor would understand that the blood plasma level
`
`limitations of the ’ 139 Patent claims are indeed limitations of the claims and
`
`should be given their plain and ordinary meaning. These limitations are in claims
`
`1, 3, 10-11, 13 and 20: “wherein the method achieves a blood plasma fulvestrant
`
`concentration of at least 2.5 nng'1 for at least two weeks”; and “wherein the blood
`
`plasma fulvestrant concentration is attained for at least four weeks.” A clinician
`
`would understand these limitations to mean that the specified blood plasma
`
`fulvestrant concentration of at least 2.5 nng'1 is achieved and maintained for the
`
`specified amount of time. This is consistent with the Board’s finding in Mylan
`
`Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. AstraZeneca AB, Case IPR20l6-Ol325, Paper No. 11
`
`(P.T.A.B. Dec. 14, 2016) (EX. 1011) which InnoPharma does not dispute. EX.
`
`1011 (PTAB Decision) at 18 (“[W]e interpret ‘achieves’ in the wherein clauses as
`
`meaning that the concentration of fulvestrant in a patient’s blood plasma is at or
`
`above the specified minimum concentration for the specified time period”);
`
`Petition at 18. Further, these limitations give meaning to and provide defining
`
`characteristics of the method of treatment. Indeed, as the Board previously held,
`
`“rather than merely stating the result of intramuscularly administering the recited
`
`formulation, [] the wherein clause dictates both the administration duration and
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 16
`
`

`

`dose of the formulation, i.e., an amount sufficient to provide a therapeutically
`
`significant blood plasma fulvestrant concentration of at least 2.5 ngml'l” for the
`
`specified amount of time. Ex. 1011 at 17. InnoPharma does not dispute this
`
`finding. Petition at 18-19.
`
`X)
`
`STATE OF THE RELEVANT ART
`
`A)
`
`Problem To Be Solved
`
`34.
`
`Breast cancer was a problem at the time of the invention.
`
`Approximately 184,200 people in the United States were expected to be diagnosed
`
`with breast cancer in 2000, with over 41,000 deaths expected from the disease. Ex.
`
`2008 (Greenlee) at 6-7. At the time of the invention, a variety of treatments
`
`existed for patients with breast cancer, one of which was endocrine therapies. Such
`
`therapies seek to alter hormone levels in a patient and/or the hormone receptor
`
`levels in the tumor to influence the progression of hormonal dependent breast
`
`cancer. Breast cancer is divided into hormone dependent and hormone
`
`independent subtypes. Approximately 46-77 percent of cases of breast cancer were
`
`considered hormone dependent. Ex. 2009 (Robertson 1996) at 1. The remaining
`
`one-third of breast cancer cases are hormone independent. This classification of
`
`breast cancer as hormone independent and hormone dependent is important
`
`because it guides the clinicians as to which type of treatment may be appropriate
`
`for a particular patient.
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 17
`
`

`

`35. Of the endocrine therapies available prior to the invention of the ’ 139
`
`Patent, tamoxifen (“Nolvadex®”) was “the most important hormonal antitumor
`
`agent for breast cancer.” Ex. 2010 (Fornier) at 4; Ex. 2011 (Jordan Supp. 1995) at
`
`1 (“Tamoxifen [] is the endocrine therapy of choice for selected patients with all
`
`stages of breast cancer”).
`
`Indeed, tamoxifen was “the most widely used first-line
`
`hormonal agent in patients with metastatic breast cancer.” Ex. 2012 (Hortobagyi
`
`Cancer Investigation 1998) at 5. “Tamoxifen is a synthetic antiestrogen that blocks
`
`estrogen binding to the estrogen receptor (ER).” Ex. 2010 (Fornier) at 4.
`
`36.
`
`Tamoxifen was known to be a partial agonist/antagonist. It blocked
`
`estrogen from fueling breast cancer tumors in breast tissue. But in other tissues
`
`like bone and the heart it acted like estrogen, providing beneficial protection. Ex.
`
`1039 (Osborne 1995) at 5. Other references similarly described the importance
`
`and benefits of tamoxifen’s partial agonist/antagonist properties. Ex. 2022
`
`(Minton) at 1; Ex. 2023 (Grese 1998) at 1-2. Tamoxifen was available as a once a
`
`day oral pill.
`
`37.
`
`The success of tamoxifen led to attempts to improve the less desirable
`
`aspects of the drug. A significant clinical problem was that tamoxifen treatment
`
`eventually resulted in tumor resistance. Ex. 2010 (Fornier) at 4 (“‘Unfortunately,
`
`breast cancer in most patients will eventually become resistant to tamoxifen”). In
`
`other words, “most tumours that respond [to tamoxifen] eventually develop
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 18
`
`

`

`acquired resistance and start to regrow.” Ex. 2013 (Johnston 1997) at 1.
`
`38.
`
`Thus, prior to 2000, there was a need for (1) improved treatments for
`
`hormone dependent breast cancer, and (2) improved treatment options for patients
`
`following tamoxifen failure. Ex. 2014 (Pritchard 1997); Ex. 2015 (Buzdar Clin.
`
`Oncol. 1998); Ex. 1050 (Buzdar Clin. Cancer Res. 1998); Ex. 2013 (Johnston
`
`1997); Ex. 2017 (Jordan 1995); Ex. 2018 (Morrow); Ex. 2019 (Wiebe); Ex. 2020
`
`(Jordan Supp. 1992); Ex. 2021 (Jordan 1992). Metastatic breast cancer is an
`
`incurable condition so an endocrine therapy that could extend a woman’s life
`
`and/or give her a better quality of life was desired.
`
`39. An improved treatment would have to be either more effective or at
`
`least as effective but safer than tamoxifen. In addition, it should be as convenient,
`
`i.e., a once a day pill. Dr. Harris disagrees, instead arguing (without any literature
`
`support) that “1M injections are [] favored because they ensure compliance” and
`
`“patients will tolerate pain for lifesaving drugs like cancer treatments.” Ex. 1015
`
`at 1111 77, 157-1 5 8. This is contrary to the literature at the time which, indeed,
`
`indicates that physicians thought that patients would not accept any treatment but a
`
`once a day pill. Ex. 2020 (Jordan Supp. 1992) at 4 (“An orally active agent should
`
`be an essential component of any strategy to introduce a new antiestrogen. Oral
`
`tamoxifen is so well tolerated that patients would be reluctant to consider
`
`injections or sustained-release implants as an altemative.”). Dr. Harris describes
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 19
`
`

`

`this in emotive language “[w]hen given the choice is between an IM injection that
`
`may cause pain but can cure cancer where other treatments have failed, patients
`
`will accept this tradeoff.” EX. 1015 at 11 158. Advanced breast cancer in 2000 and
`
`even up to the present day is an incurable condition and so this “choice” that Dr.
`
`Harris describes is not a realistic clinical choice which either the patient or doctor
`
`have been or are currently faced with and, as noted above, it was reported at the
`
`time that oral medication was “well tolerated” and an “essential component of any
`
`strategy to introduce a new antiestrogen.” EX. 2020 at 4.
`
`40. Within the endocrine therapies category, the prior art taught several
`
`different approaches, such as “improved” tamoxifens (other selective estrogen
`
`receptor modulators (SERMs)), aromatase inhibitors (AIS), and oral pure
`
`antiestrogens. Other approaches being used were antiprogestins and high dose
`
`estrogens, the latter which included approved and marketed products at the time.
`
`41.
`
`In my view, InnoPharma’s experts, Drs. Harris and El-Ashry provide
`
`an incomplete analysis of endocrine therapy (EX. 1015 at 1111 69-103; EX. 1014 at 1111
`
`24-31), for at least the following reasons:
`
`0 They ignore whole classes of promising endocrine therapies, e.g.,
`
`antiprogestins, progestins and high dose estrogens.
`
`0 They fail to describe the important advantages of the SERMs currently
`
`used at the time (e.g., cardiovascular effects).
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 20
`
`

`

`0 They focus solely on an uncommon negative effect of tamoxifen
`
`(uterine cancer). This is somewhat surprising since O’Regan whom
`
`InnoPharma has referenced stated “[i]ndeed, the International Agency
`
`for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health
`
`Organization, recently stated that no patient should stop taking
`
`tamoxifen because of concerns about the risk of endometrial cancer
`
`and that the benefits of tamoxifen use far outweigh any risks.” Ex.
`
`1009 at 1. In other words, while endometrial cancer was an
`
`acknowledged risk of tamoxifen treatment it was not deemed sufficient
`
`risk to stop any patient from taking tamoxifen.
`
`0 They fail to discuss the extensive research that was ongoing to assess
`
`new “designer” SERMs, which were being developed to optimize the
`
`beneficial agonistic properties of SERMs while minimizing potential
`
`harmful agonistic properties.
`
`0 They fail to recognize that, even beyond the designer SERMs, the
`
`aromatase inhibitors had become the new and preferred focus for
`
`pharmaceutical companies and clinical researchers seeking new and
`
`more effective endocrine agents, including the second and third
`
`generation aromatase inhibitors that were being developed for various
`
`clinical indications in breast cancer.
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 21
`
`

`

`o
`
`In terms of pure antiestrogens, they do not acknowledge the other pure
`
`antiestrogens being developed immediately prior to 2000, of which
`
`one in particular, EM—800, was more potent, orally active, had phase II
`
`clinical data, and had started phase III clinical trials.
`
`42.
`
`For the reasons described above and below, a skilled artisan would not
`
`have begun with fulvestrant as the active ingredient, nor would a skilled artisan
`
`have expected such an approach to succeed.
`
`B)
`
`The Prior Art Taught and Provided a Promising Scientific
`Rationale and Experimental Candidates for Many Different
`Systemic Therapy Approaches to Treating Breast Cancer
`
`1)
`
`Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
`
`43.
`
`Given the success of tamoxifen and the benefits of its mixed
`
`agonist/antagonist activity, one of the promising areas was the search for a new
`
`tamoxifen with a better balance of activities. As of the date of the invention,
`
`several SERMs had already received FDA approval, opportunities existed to
`
`improve the most widely used SERM, tamoxifen, and many promising SERMs
`
`were in development.
`
`44.
`
`Contrary to Dr. Harris’s assertion that some of tamoxifen’s agonist
`
`activity that was not beneficial (the rare instances of endometrial cancer) pointed to
`
`pure estrogen antagonists, Ex. 1015 at 1] 87, in reality, at the time of the invention,
`
`many scientists and pharmaceutical companies were attempting to develop better
`
`AstraZeneca Exhibit 2002 p. 22
`
`

`

`SERMs by seeking a superior balance between antiestrogen activity and estrogen
`
`agonist activity, instead of entirely eliminating agonist activity. The prior art
`
`explained exactly that: “[t]he finding of endometrial cancer resulting from
`
`tamoxifen treatment has led researchers to investigate new agents that retain
`
`favorable estrogenic properties in specific tissues and display antiestrogen activity
`
`on the endometrium. Such research has generated the concept of selective estrogen
`
`receptor modulators (SERMs) that mediate either estrogen agonist or estrogen
`
`antagonist effects in different tissues.” Ex. 2022 (Minton) at l.
`
`45.
`
`In fact, the focus on improving the agonist-antagonist balance of
`
`tamoxifen led to an “explosion of research to understand the molecular basis for
`
`this specificity and a race to develop these ‘designer estrogens’ or Selective
`
`Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) as pharmaceutical products.” Ex. 2023
`
`(Grese 1998) at 2.
`
`46.
`
`As of the date of the invention, other SERMs that had received FDA
`
`approval included toremifene, which was found t

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