Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 25, 2026
Application No. 16/069,972

COMPOSITION FOR INCREASING EXPRESSION OF PGC-1alpha

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Jul 13, 2018
Priority
Jan 13, 2016 — RE 10-2016-0004383 +1 more
Examiner
DICKINSON, PAUL W
Art Unit
1618
Tech Center
1600 — Biotechnology & Organic Chemistry
Assignee
BENEBIOSIS CO., LTD.
OA Round
7 (Non-Final)
63%
Grant Probability
Moderate
7-8
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
73%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 63% of resolved cases
63%
Career Allowance Rate
664 granted / 1051 resolved
+3.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +10% lift
Without
With
+9.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 3m
Avg Prosecution
47 currently pending
Career history
1096
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.6%
-38.4% vs TC avg
§103
42.1%
+2.1% vs TC avg
§102
17.8%
-22.2% vs TC avg
§112
27.1%
-12.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1051 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . DETAILED ACTION Applicant’s arguments, filed 10/9/2026 have been fully considered but they are not deemed to be (fully) persuasive. Rejections and/or objections not reiterated from previous office actions are hereby withdrawn. The following rejections and/or objects are either reiterated or newly applied. They constitute the complete set presently being applied to the instant application. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Claims 55-57, 74-76, and 83 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Sarcopenia is a broad, multifactorial syndrome defined as the age-related, progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. Sarcopenia driven by a decrease in PGC-1α expression represents a specific molecular mechanism within that broader condition, where the downregulation of a key transcriptional master regulator directly accelerates muscle degradation. The application has not described a representative number of treatment of sarcopenia caused by a decrease in PGC-1α expression so as to show that applicant had possession of a method for treating sarcopenia across the scope of “caused by a decrease in PGC-1alpha expression” at the time the invention was filed. Notes and Comments No prior art was found against the claimed invention. Conclusion THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W DICKINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3499. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 AM to 7:30 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Hartley can be reached on 571-272-0616. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /PAUL W DICKINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1618 October 13, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 13 earlier events
Jun 03, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Sep 25, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Mar 25, 2026
Response Filed
Apr 09, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §112
Oct 09, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Oct 09, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Oct 11, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Oct 16, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12734255
RADIOPAQUE POLYMERS WITH ENHANCED RADIOPACITY
7y 4m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
Patent 12734257
TERAGNOSTIC METHOD FOR CANCER PATIENTS
2y 0m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
Patent 12708606
LITHIUM FLUORIDE NANOPARTICLES FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHONDROCYTES IN OSTEOARTHRITIS
3y 4m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026
Patent 12673926
NOVEL TETRAZINE COMPOUNDS FOR IN VIVO IMAGING
5y 1m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12649001
COMPLEXES FOR DELIVERY OF ANTIGENIC PEPTIDES
3y 2m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

7-8
Expected OA Rounds
63%
Grant Probability
73%
With Interview (+9.6%)
3y 3m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 1051 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month