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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`LIQUIDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
`Petitioner
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`V.
`
`UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION
`
`Patent Owner
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`Patent No. 10,716,793 B2
`
`Issue Date: July 21, 2020
`Title: TREPROSTINIL ADMINISTRATION BY INHALATION
`
`Inter Partes Review No. IPR2021—00406
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`DECLARATION OF DR. WERNER SEEGER
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`IPR2021-00406
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`IPR2021-00406
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`Declaration of Dr. Werner Seeger
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`I, Dr. Werner Seeger, hereby declare as follows:
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`I am a named inventor of US. Patent No. 10,716,793 (the “’793
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`patent”) and am the director of University of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center
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`(“UGMLC”), a research center at the University Hospital Giessen studying
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`pulmonary hypertension.
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`I am a paid consultant for United Therapeutics, which I understand is
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`the assignee of the ”793 patent, in connection with IPR2021-00406. My
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`compensation does not depend on the content of this declaration, the substance of
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`any other testimony that I may offer in connection with this proceeding or the
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`disposition of this proceeding.
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`‘Ghofrani Review Article
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`I am a co-author of the German language article: Hossein Ardeschi
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`Ghofrani et al. “Neue Therapieoptionen in der Behandlung der pulmonalarteriellen
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`Hypertonie,”1 Herz, 30, 4 (June 2005): 296—302 (“the Ghofrani article”). I
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`understand that Liquidia Technologies, Inc. (“Liquidia”) submitted this publication
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`along with an English language translation of the article in this proceeding as
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`Exhibit 1010, which I have reviewed.
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`1 The title is translated as “Pulmonary hypertension — new aspects of therapy” in
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`Exhibit 1010.
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`Declaration of Dr. Werner Seeger
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`The Ghofrani article was an overview review article, drafted under my
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`direction and control by members of my research center at University Hospital
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`Giessen. The intent of the article was to compile and review information, not to
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`communicate primary data. Each of the listed authors was selected based on their
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`expertise in particular areas covered in particular sections of the Ghofrani article.
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`Dr. Hossein A. Ghofrani—the first listed author—has experience in
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`the use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors for treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
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`He drafted the section of the Ghofrani article relating to phosphodiesterase
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`inhibitors. I know Dr. Ghofrani drafted this section of the Ghofrani article because
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`I asked him to draft this section and communicated with him about it. In Exhibit
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`1010, this section in English begins at the bottom of page 11 and continues through
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`page 13. Dr. Ghofrani was listed as a co-author on the Ghofrani article because he
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`drafted this portion of the article and the other portions noted below.
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`Drs. Frank Reichenberger and Friedrich Grimminger both have
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`experience in the use of selective endothelin A receptor agonists for treating
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`pulmonary hypertension. I know Drs. Reichenberger and Grimminger drafted this
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`section of the Ghofrani article because I asked them to draft this section and
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`communicated with them about it. Together they drafted the section of the
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`Ghofrani article relating to selective endothelin A receptor agonists. In Exhibit
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`1010, this section is in English on page 11. Drs. Reichenberger and Grimminger
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`Declaration of Dr. Werner Seeger
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`were listed as a co-author on the Ghofrani article because they drafted this portion
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`of the article.
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`Dr. Robert Voswinckel and I both have experience in the use of
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`inhaled iloprost and inhaled treprostinil for treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
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`Together, we drafted the sections of the Ghofrani article relating to inhaled iloprost
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`and inhaled treprostinil. In Exhibit 1010, this section is in English and begins on
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`page 10 and continues through page 11. (Ex. 1010, p. 11). Although the
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`information in this excerpt for the article was compiled and composed by Dr.
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`Voswinckel and myself, the individuals who designed the underlying clinical
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`studies with inhaled treprostinil are the same as the ones listed as inventors on the
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`patents, as explained in more detail below. We of course performed the studies
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`discussed in the Ghofrani article, wrote the excerpt quoted above, and submitted it
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`for publication before it was published in June 2005 based upon our work together
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`designing the clinical study.
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`The co—inventors designed the underlying clinical studies with inhaled
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`treprostinil described in the following 2 sentences quoted above from the Ghofrani
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`article: “Initial trials in Giessen have shown proof of efficacy of inhaled
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`treprostinil for the effective reduction of the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR)
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`[6]. In this first study, 17 patients with severe pre-capillary pulmonary
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`hypertension were administered inhaled treprostinil (15 mcg/inhalation).” The
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`clinical trials referenced in the first sentence of this passage, which cites to the
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`Voswinckel 2004 ESC abstract, involved 29 patients of different pulmonary
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`hypertension categories and did not provide an inhaled dosage because it only
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`gives concentration of drug in the inhaled solution. The second sentence of this
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`passage from Ghofrani refers to a subgroup of 17 patients assumed to have
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`received an inhaled dosage of 15 mcg.
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`Regarding dosage of inhaled treprostinil, the Ghofrani review article
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`notes that patients were “administered inhaled treprostinil (15 mcg/inhalation).”
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`The word “inhalation” in that sentence (in both German and English) does not
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`mean “breath,” but rather, refers to the overall inhalation event stretching over
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`minutes. This is clear under our typical use of that terminology.
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`10. With respect to the 29-patient study citing the reference of endnote
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`“[6]” (Voswinckel 2004 ESC Abstract) for support, which used an inhalation
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`period of six minutes (reference [6] of EX. 1010 is EX. 1007, and p. 5 of EX. 1007
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`states that “6 min” was used), this indicates that a continuous nebulizer was being
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`used where dose per breath is not measured (without pulsing or an opto—acoustical
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`trigger), as in the first two studies using an unmodified OptiNeb® device discussed
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`below (paragraph 24).
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`11. Although the Ghofrani review article states that treprostinil showed a
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`strong pulmonary selectivity “so that it is possible to increase the dosage to up to
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`90 mcg (absolute inhaled dose per inhalation exercise),” it does not report that this
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`dosage was applied in human pulmonary hypertension patients, which is evident
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`from reviewing the cited reference, “[6]” (Ex. 1007), in which this this dosage is
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`not reported. Rather, the Ghofrani review article states only that it “is possible”
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`(“moglich ist” in EX. 1010). This statement was intended to convey the idea that it
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`may be possible to increase the dosage to that level, not that the referenced study
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`actually performed that particular test. Similarly, the Ghofrani review article states
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`that due to certain unique properties of treprostinil, “it is possible [“ist es
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`m6glich”] to reduce the number [of] inhalations necessary to up to four per day”
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`and that the inhalation period “can be” reduced [“lasst sich bei”] to < 1 min. and
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`that it “is technically feasible [“technisch realisierbar sein wird”] for there to [sic]
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`only one to two breaths in an application.” EX. 1010, p. 3, 11. These statements of
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`possibilities do not report any conclusion of studies performed, which is evident
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`from reviewing the cited reference, in which 6 min inhalation time was reported
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`“[6]” (EX. 1007), but rather, suggest only future paths for clinical studies.
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`In sum, the Ghofrani review article does not explain or teach any
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`particular therapeutic regimen or necessary parameters. It does not present any new
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`treprostinil inhalation results, but rather, it only is summarizing the results and
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`merely provides a high-level overview of early investigations into inhaled
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`treprostinil and some speculation for additional research. Similarly, the two
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`Voswinckel references provided by Liquidia as Exs. 1007 and 1008, both of which
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`are abstracts and not primary study reports, report only select and incomplete
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`information of different studies. Although the specific parameters used and
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`particulars of the studies performed by my group are not fully reported, any study
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`that formed the basis of our discussion of inhaled treprostinil in these three
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`references (EX. 1007, 1008, and 1010) was performed by me in conjunction with
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`my ongoing collaboration with Drs. Voswinckel, Olschewski, Rubin, Schmehl,
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`Sterritt, and Roscigno. Indeed, in both Voswinckel abstracts at EX. 1007 and EX.
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`1008 we note that the study was “supported by Lung RX.” In particular, as to any
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`of these relevant inhalation studies with inhaled treprostinil, Drs. Voswinckel,
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`Olschewski, Rubin, Schmehl, Sterritt, and Roscigno, and 1 determined the dosage
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`amounts of administered inhaled treprostinil to give to patients, determined the
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`inhalation time and/or number of breaths employed, determined what equipment
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`and administration devices and methods to use, and identified the spacing between
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`inhalation events, as well as analyzed the hemodynamic and pharmacokinetic
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`effects over time. The other authors listed in the Ghofrani review article—Drs.
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`Ghofrani, Reichenberger, and Grimminger——did not participate in the design of
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`any of the studies, did not select the dosing regimen, and did not conduct analysis
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`of patient results discussed in the Ghofrani review article or the two Voswinckel
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`Drs. Ghofrani, Reichenberger, and Grimminger were named as co-
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`authors because it was, and continues to be, the practice of our group, as an
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`academic and research group, to include as co-authors all individuals working in
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`our group that run the center, assist with trials, and engage in clinical routine
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`management and administration, even when that group is broader than the
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`individuals actually involved in inventing methods or devices and designing the
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`trials. More specifically, even though Drs. Ghofrani, Reichenberger, and
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`Grimminger did not design the inhaled treprostinil clinical trials, they did perform
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`support work including help with identifying potentially eligible patients out of the
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`group of patients in our pulmonary hypertension clinic. Because patients with
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`severe pulmonary hypertension have multiple needs beyond their participation in
`
`clinical trials, such as treatments involving their background medications (e.g.,
`
`diuretics, anti-coagulation, other pulmonary hypertension targeted co-medications,
`
`antibiotics, etc.); and support for some general needs (e.g., administrative matters
`
`with insurance or helping with other family members, etc.), they also carried out
`
`this type of work. In still other cases, patients who discontinued clinical trials
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`require immediate transitioning back to their normal clinical care again, which was
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`also part of their responsibilities.
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`In sum, the information in Ghofrani was compiled and composed by
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`Dr. Voswinckel and myself. The idea to perform the underlying work described in
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`this section originated with Dr. Voswinckel and myself, in view of our work with
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`other inventors listed on the ’507 patent. The other authors listed in the Ghofrani
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`article—Drs. Ghofrani, Reichenberger and Grimminger—did not contribute to this
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`excerpt or the underlying work.
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`The remaining sections on vasoactive therapy, inhaled iloprost,
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`combination therapies, and treatment of pulmonary hypertension, as well as the
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`introduction and compiled literature were drafted by Dr. Hossein A. Ghofrani and
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`Upon completion of the draft and prior to submission thereof, I
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`reviewed and edited the Ghofrani article in my capacity as director of my research
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`center. In addition to myself, the four members of my research center who had
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`contributed to the aforementioned sections of the Ghofrani article were listed as
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`The selection of authors for the Ghofrani article fits with the normal
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`practice in my research center. In general, when my research center submits
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`abstracts to a conference or articles for publication, we include members of the
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`research group who contributed in some way to the abstract or article as authors.
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`[Voswinckel 2006 Clinical Observation Letter
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`I am listed as a co-author of the clinical observation letter: Robert
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`Voswinckel, Hossein A. Ghofrani, Friedrich Grimminger, Werner Seeger, and
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`Horst Olschewski, “Clinical Observations” on “Inhaled Treprostinil for Treatment
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`of Chronic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” “Letters” Section of the Annals of
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`Internal Medicine, l44(2):l49-50 (January 2006) (“Voswinckel 2006”).
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`I
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`understand that Liquidia submitted the letter in this proceeding as Exhibit 1009,
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`which I have reviewed.
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`19. Voswinckel 2006, which is a clinical observation letter, characterizes
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`the effects of inhaled treprostinil with special regard to safety, tolerability, and
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`efficacy in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. EX. 1009, p. 6.
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`Although the specific parameters used and particulars of the studies performed by
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`my group are not fully reported in Voswinckel 2006 (e.g., “modified OptiNeb
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`ultrasonic device”), any study that formed the basis of our discussion of inhaled
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`treprostinil in this reference was performed by me in conjunction with my ongoing
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`collaboration with Drs. Voswinckel, Olschewski, Rubin, Schmehl, Sterritt, and
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`Roscigno. Indeed, we note that Lunng provided a grant for this research. EX.
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`1009, p. 6.
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`In particular, as to the study with inhaled treprostinil in Voswinckel
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`2006, Drs. Voswinckel, Olschewski, Rubin, Schmehl, Sterritt, and Roscigno, and I
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`determined the dosage amounts of administered inhaled treprostinil to give to
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`patients, determined the inhalation time and/or number of breaths employed,
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`determined what equipment and administration devices and methods to use, and
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`identified the spacing between inhalation events, as well as analyzed the
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`hemodynamic and pharmacokinetic effects over time. The other authors listed in
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`Voswinckel 2006—Drs. Ghofrani and Grimminger—did not participate in the
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`design of any of the studies, did not select the dosing regimen, and did not conduct
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`analysis of patient results discussed in the Ghofrani review article, the two
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`Voswinckel abstracts or the Voswinckel 2006 Clinical Observation Letter.
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`Drs. Ghofrani and Grimminger were named as co-authors because it
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`was, and continues to be, the practice of our group, as an academic and research
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`group, to include as co-authors all individuals working in our group that run the
`
`center, assist with trials, and engage in clinical routine management and
`
`administration, even when that group is broader than the individuals actually
`
`involved in inventing methods or devices and designing the trials. Unlike the
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`earlier abstracts and review article, Dr. Reichenberger was not included as an
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`author on Voswinckel 2006 because he was no longer member of the particular
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`research/medical group caring about inhalation strategies in pulmonary
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`hypertension patients at that time. More specifically, even though Drs. Ghofrani
`
`and Grimminger did not design the inhaled treprostinil clinical trials, they did
`
`perform support work including help with identifying potentially eligible patients
`
`out of the group of patients in our pulmonary hypertension clinic. Because patients
`
`with severe pulmonary hypertension have multiple needs beyond their participation
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`in clinical trials, such as treatments involving their background medications (e.g.,
`
`diuretics, anti-coagulation, other pulmonary hypertension targeted co-medications,
`
`antibiotics, etc.); and support for some general needs (e.g., administrative matters
`
`with insurance or helping with other family members, etc), they also carried out
`
`this type of work. In still other cases, patients who discontinued clinical trials,
`
`require immediate transitioning back to their normal clinical care again, which was
`
`also part of their responsibilities.
`
`MV Collaboration with Drs. Rubin. Voswinckel. Olschewski. Schmehl.
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`Roscigno. and Sterritt
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`Dr. Voswinckel and my collaboration with Drs. Rubin and
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`Olschewski and Lung Rx began in 2003. On September 30, 2003, I entered into a
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`Services Agreement with Lung Rx, Inc. under which I served as co—chair with Dr.
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`Lewis Rubin for the development program for treprostinil inhalation. A true and
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`correct copy of this Agreement is appended to this declaration. As reflected in the
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`Services Agreement itself, work included developing the outline and timeline for
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`the development program, and also designing the pilot and pivotal trials. Id. I
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`worked directly with Drs. Rubin, Voswinckel, Olschewski, Schmehl, Roscigno,
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`and Sterritt on this collaboration, which resulted in the three clinical studies
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`mentioned below that became the basis of our patent application leading to the
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`”793 patent.
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`In particular, I recall a meeting in New York on 22 October 2003,
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`which included me, Dr. Rubin, and Dr. Olschewski, as well as participants from
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`United Therapeutics, and together we discussed the design of clinical trials with
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`inhaled treprostinil to treat pulmonary hypertension patients. A true and correct
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`copy of the agenda from this meeting, which describes a detailed work plan, is
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`appended to this declaration. Certain action items indicated in this agenda involved
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`me or my co-inventors as reflected by our initials (“LR” is Lewis Rubin, “WS” are
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`my initials, “H0” is Horst Olschewski, “RR” is Robert Roscigno, and “CS” is Carl
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`Following this initial meeting in New York, my co-inventors and I
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`investigated various devices and alternatives to deliver inhaled treprostinil as
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`described in our patent application. One possible method involved the use of a
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`particular kind of metered dose inhaler, as discussed in our provisional US.
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`Application No. 60/800,016 (the “’016 application”) at par. [0037] and [0047]—
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`[0055]. A different, and unrelated, alternative was the use of an ultrasonic
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`nebulizer (id. at [0066]). We began a series of studies with a particular ultrasonic
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`nebulizer called the OptiNeb® device, which are summarized in our patent
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`application (id. at [0062]—[0089]). The first two studies initially used a 6 min.
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`inhalation period, meaning that patients breathed continuously while nebulization
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`occurred over this time period, without pulsing of aerosol generation and without
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`an opto-acoustical trigger (see ’016 application, par. [0066], [0070], and [0071]).
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`Unexpectedly, when we used treprostinil at a much higher dose in our
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`second study with the OptiNeb® ultrasonic nebulizer device, we discovered that
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`treprostinil has a slower transpulmonary transit time (time of drug “spillover” into
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`the blood to reach peak plasma concentration) of 10 to 15 minutes when
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`administered to pulmonary hypertension patients (id. at Fig. 12), compared to
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`iloprost. See Olschewski, et al., Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics of
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`Inhaled Iloprost, Aerosolized by Three Different Devices, in Severe Pulmonary
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`Hypertension, Chest J ., 124(4), 1294-1304, 1294 (Oct. 2003) (“rapid entry of
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`iloprost into the systemic circulation was noted, peaking immediately after
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`termination of the inhalation maneuver”). This particular pharmacokinetic data is
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`disclosed in our patent application (see ’016 application at Fig. 12), but is not
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`reported in either of the Voswinckel abstracts (Exs. 1007 and 1008), Voswinckel
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`2006 (E. 1009), or the Ghofrani publication (EX. 1010). This slower time to reach
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`peak plasma concentration is important. It obviously allows: a) to avoid major
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`systemic side effects even when high total inhalation doses are used (nevertheless
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`the high local concentrations in the lung already provide the desired therapeutic
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`effect); b) to reduce the inhalation time to even a few breaths (made possible by
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`switching to a pulsed ultrasonic nebulizer in the further course of the studies); and
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`c) to increase the overall inhaled treprostinil dose more than one order of
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`magnitude over the overall inhaled tolerable iloprost dose.
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`In a subsequent trial, we modified the OptiNeb® device to include both
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`pulsing and an opto-acoustical trigger, while using a high enough concentration of
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`pre-aerosolized treprostinil solution to permit high dosing in a small number of
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`breaths coordinated with each of the aerosol pulses (EX. 2100, par. [0072], [0079]—
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`[0081] and [0088]), which dramatically shortened the overall time of each
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`treatment session. Drs. Voswinckel, Olschewski, Schmehl and I were involved in
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`guiding the design of these changes to the OptiNeb® device and working to
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`implement them into the treatment regimen. The co—inventors and I, therefore, had
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`to work directly with Nebu-tec®, the manufacturer of the OptiNeb® device, to guide
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`modifying the device to achieve all of the necessary features. Because we moved
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`to such a high concentration of treprostinil in the aerosol, the opto-acoustical
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`trigger to guide the patient's breathing and synchronize it to each pulse of aerosol
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`was especially important. To my knowledge, the OptiNeb® device we created was
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`not one that was publicly available or otherwise publicly disclosed prior to our
`
`patent application. Although the Voswinckel JESC publication references a
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`“pulsed” OptiNeb® nebulizer (EX. 1008, p. 3), it does not disclose any of the
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`modifications we made, including the opto-acoustical trigger for coordinating each
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`patient’s breath with each pulse of aerosol at these high treprostinil concentrations.
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`In sum, while my collaboration with Drs. Rubin, Voswinckel,
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`Olschewski, Schmehl, Roscigno, and Sterritt was the basis of our patent
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`application leading to the ’793 patent, the collaboration did not necessarily result in
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`their inclusion on a review article, abstracts having incomplete information or
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`clinical observation letters.
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`I hereby declare that all statements made herein of my knowledge are
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`true and that all statements made on information and belief are believed to be true;
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`and further that these statements were made with the knowledge that willful false
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`statements and the like so made are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both
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`under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code.
`
`“ML,
`5‘4:
`
`”4
`
`V
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`,2021
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`Dr. Werner Seeger
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