throbber

`
`
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`PFIZER INC.,
`Petitioner,
`v.
`SANOFI-AVENTIS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH,
`Patent Owner
`
`Case IPR2019-00978
`Patent U.S. 8,603,044
`
`
`
`
`
`PATENT OWNER’S RESPONSE TO PETITIONER’S MOTIONS FOR
`JOINDER
`
`
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`Patent Owner (“Sanofi”) respectfully submits this response to Petitioner’s
`
`(“Pfizer”) Motions for Joinder under 35 U.S.C. § 315(c) and 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.22,
`
`42.122(b) of IPR Nos. 2019-00977, 2019-00978, 2019-00980, 2019-00981, 2019-
`
`00982, 2019-00987, 2019-01022, and 2019-01023 (“Pfizer IPRs”), respectively, to
`
`IPR Nos. 2018-01675, 2018-01676, 2018-01678, 2018-01679, 2019-00122, 2018-
`
`01684, 2018-01680, and 2018-01682 filed by Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
`
`(collectively the “Mylan 044, 486, 008 and 844 IPRs”).1 Sanofi has also concurrently
`
`filed a waiver of its Preliminary Response in the above Pfizer IPRs. As set forth
`
`herein, Sanofi does not oppose joinder based on the representations made by Pfizer
`
`in its Motion for Joinder, but submits that a 1-month extension of the schedule is
`
`warranted in order to accommodate joinder of Pfizer to the Mylan 044, 486, 008 and
`
`844 IPRs.
`
`
`
`In its Motion for Joinder, Pfizer represented to the Board that (1) its petitions
`
`present the exact same grounds instituted in the Mylan 044, 486, 008, and 844 IPRs
`
`and there are no new grounds of unpatentability; (2) its arguments and
`
`accompanying expert declarations by Charles Clemens are substantively identical to
`
`the arguments and expert declarations by Karl Leinsing in the Mylan 044, 486, 008,
`
`
`1 A separate response has been filed in IPR2019-00979 (U.S. 8,679,069) which
`
`Pfizer is seeking to join with IPR2018-01670.
`
`1
`
`

`

`
`
`and 844 IPRs; (3) it agrees to take an understudy role in these proceedings if joinder
`
`is granted, and only assume a primary role if Mylan ceases to participate in the IPRs;
`
`and (4) it will coordinate with Mylan to facilitate the elimination of repetitive briefs
`
`and testimony. Sanofi has further confirmed with Pfizer that the above
`
`representations mean that Pfizer, as an understudy to Mylan, will not seek time to
`
`take the deposition of any Sanofi declarants.
`
`
`
`While Sanofi does not oppose Pfizer’s Motion for Joinder under the
`
`conditions listed above, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 316(a)(11) and 37 C.F.R. §
`
`42.100(c), a modest 1-month extension2 of the entire schedule is needed if joinder is
`
`granted. Specifically, an extension is necessary to allow sufficient time to cross-
`
`examine Mr. Clemens, and incorporate both his and Mr. Leinsing’s testimony into
`
`Sanofi’s Patent Owner Responses, which are all currently due on June 25, 2019.
`
`Even accepting Pfizer’s representations that the Pfizer IPRs present identical
`
`grounds and substantively identical arguments as the Mylan 044, 486, 008, and 844
`
`IPRs, and that Pfizer will take on an understudy role if the proceedings are joined,
`
`
`2 Patent Owner proposes a 1-month extension, as opposed to a 2- or 3-week
`
`extension, because of the intervening July 4th holiday and the fact that Patent Owner
`
`will also be preparing opening expert reports in the co-pending litigation between
`
`Sanofi and Mylan in the District of New Jersey currently due on July 15, 2019.
`
`2
`
`

`

`
`
`the parties must still coordinate scheduling for both Mr. Clemens and Mr. Leinsing
`
`to be cross-examined on their respective opinions in nine IPR proceedings on five
`
`patents. Assuming Pfizer agrees to make Mr. Clemens available for deposition in
`
`accordance with the time limits that Patent Owner and Mylan have negotiated for
`
`Mr. Leinsing’s depositions (35 hours of cross examination, 20 hours of redirect
`
`examination, and 10 hours of re-cross examination), the parties will need to schedule
`
`65 hours of deposition time sufficiently in advance of Due Date 1 so that Patent
`
`Owner has a full and fair opportunity to incorporate the deposition testimony into its
`
`Patent Owner Responses.
`
`
`
`Furthermore, extending only Due Date 1, while leaving the remaining dates
`
`in the schedule in place would unnecessarily tighten the schedule. The Board’s rules
`
`specifically contemplate and allow for extensions of the schedule because of joinder.
`
`35 U.S.C. § 316(a)(11); 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(c). Moreover, Patent Owner anticipates
`
`similar scheduling issues in connection with at least Due Dates 2 and 3 due to the
`
`need to schedule numerous days of cross-examination on Patent Owner’s responsive
`
`declarations and Pfizer’s and Mylan’s reply declarations. For example, extending
`
`Due Date 1 to July 30, 2019 while leaving Due Date 2 on September 17, 2019 as
`
`currently scheduled would require the parties to schedule depositions of Patent
`
`Owner’s declarant on five patents in nine IPR proceedings during a period of less
`
`than two months. Likewise, extending Due Date 2 by one month to October 22,
`
`3
`
`

`

`
`
`2019 while leaving Due Date 3 on October 29, 2019 as currently scheduled would
`
`require Patent Owner to depose Mylan’s and Pfizer’s reply declarants and prepare
`
`sur-replies in each of the nine IPR proceedings within one week of receiving Mylan’s
`
`and Pfizer’s replies. Thus, Patent Owner’s proposed one month extension of the
`
`entire schedule is necessary in order to avoid compressing the time between
`
`substantive due dates to the prejudice of the parties. The proposed extension is set
`
`forth in the table below:
`
`
`
`Due Date 1
`- Patent Owner Response
`- Motion to Amend (“MTA”)
`
`Due Date 2:
`- Petitioner Reply to POR
`- Petitioner Opposition to MTA
`
`Due Date 3:
`- Patent Owner Sur-reply
`- Patent Owner Reply on MTA
`
`Due Date 4
`- Request for Oral Argument
`
`Due Date 5
`- Petitioner Sur-Reply on MTA
`- Motions to Exclude Evidence
`
`Due Date 6
`- Oppositions to Mot. to Exclude
`- Request for Prehearing
`Conference
`
`
`Current
`Schedule
`June 25, 2019
`
`Revised
`Schedule
`July 30, 2019
`
`September 17, 2019
`
`October 22, 2019
`
`October 29, 2019
`
`December 3, 2019
`
`November 19, 2019
`
`December 20, 2019
`
`December 6, 2019
`
`January 10, 2020
`
`December 13, 2019
`
`January 17, 2020
`
`4
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Due Date 7
`- Reply on Mot. to Exclude
`
`Due Date 8
`- Oral Argument
`
`Final Written Decision
`
`
`Current
`Schedule
`December 20, 2019
`
`Revised
`Schedule
`January 24, 2020
`
`January 14-15, 2020
`
`~February 17-18,
`2020
`
`~April 2-3, 2020
`
`~May 4-5, 2020
`
`Pursuant to the representations noted above and the requested extension of the
`
`schedule, Sanofi does not oppose Pfizer’s Motion for Joinder and agrees that judicial
`
`economy will be served by joining Pfizer to the Mylan 044, 486, 008, and 844 IPRs.
`
`Patent Owner, however, submits that a 1-month extension of the schedule is
`
`warranted in order to accommodate joinder of Pfizer to the Mylan 044, 486, 008,
`
`and 844 IPRs.
`
`Dated: June 3, 2019
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser/
`Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser
`(Reg. No. 55,721)
`Anish R. Desai (Reg. No. 73,760)
`Sudip K. Kundu (Reg. No. 74,193)
`Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
`767 Fifth Avenue
`New York, NY 10153
`Phone: 212-310-8000
`elizabeth.weiswasser@weil.com
`anish.desai@weil.com
`sudip.kundu@weil.com
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`William S. Ansley (Reg. No. 67,828)
`Matthew D. Sieger (Reg. No. 76,051)
`Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
`2001 M Street NW, Ste. 600
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`Phone: 202-682-7000
`sutton.ansley@weil.com
`matthew.sieger@weil.com
`
`Adrian C. Percer (Reg. No. 46,986)
`Brian C. Chang (Reg. No. 74,301)
`Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
`201 Redwood Shores Parkway
`Redwood Shores, CA 94065
`Phone: 650-802-300
`adrian.percer@weil.com
`brian.chang@weil.com
`
`Sanofi.IPR.Service@weil.com
`
`
`
`
`
`
`6
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`The undersigned hereby certifies that on June 3, 2019, the foregoing
`
`PATENT OWNER RESPONSE TO PETITONER’S MOTION FOR
`
`JOINDER was served via electronic mail upon the following:
`
`
`Jovial Wong
`Charles B. Klein
`Dan H. Hoang
`WINSTON & STRAWN LLP
`1700 K Street NW
`Washington, D.C., 20006
`PfizerIPRs@winston.com
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`/Timothy J. Andersen/
`Timothy J. Andersen
`Case Manager
`Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
`2001 M Street NW, Ste. 600
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`Phone: 202-682-7000
`timothy.andersen@weil.com
`
`
`
`7
`
`

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