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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-3, 5-14, and 16-18 are pending as of the response and amendments filed on 11/10/25. Claims 4 and 15 are canceled. Claims 10-13 and 16-17 are withdrawn from examination as being directed to non-elected inventions. Claims 1-3, 5-9, 14, and 18 are currently under examination.
The rejection of claim 14 under 35 USC 112(b) is withdrawn in view of the amendments.
The objection to claim 5 is withdrawn in view of the amendments.
The 102(a)(1) rejection over Bulmer is withdrawn in view of the amendments.
The 102(a)(1) rejection over Weinstock is withdrawn in view of the amendments.
Search and examination have been extended to additional compounds of formulas Ia and Ib, in accordance with MPEP 803.02. New rejections are made based on the amended claims, discussed below.
Claims 1-3, 5-9, 14, and 18 were examined. Claims 1-3, 6-7, and 14 are rejected. Claims 5, 9, and 18 are objected to. Claim 8 is allowed.
Claim Rejections-35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 7 depends from claim 1 and recites the compound “3-(dimethylsulfamoyl)-4-(hept-6-enylamino)benzoic acid:
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. This compound is not included within Formula Ia of claim 1, since hept-6-ene is not included as a group for R3 or R4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this compound in the claims.
Claim 7 also recites the following compound:
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However, this compound is not included within Formula Ia of claim 1, since it contain the group 8-bromo-8,8-difluorooctyl for R3 or R4, which are not encompassed in claim 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this compounds in claim 1.
Claim Rejections-35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sturm et. al., US 4029787, patented 6/14/1977, cited in the IDS submitted on 11/10/25.
Sturm discloses 3-sulfamoyl-4-piperazinyl-benzoic acid compounds as antihypertensive agents (title & abstract; col. 1, lines 9-46):
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.
Sturm discloses the compounds in unit dosage forms containing from 10-500 mg. of the compounds with a carrier and optionally additional solubilizer (col. 8, lines 14-26). Sturm discloses the following compounds which are included within Formula Ia and Ib of the instant claims:
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-sulfamoyl-benzoic acid (col. 8, Ex. 1)
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;
6-chloro-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-sulfamoylbenzoic acid (col. 8, line 59-col. 9, line 14, Ex.2)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-methylsulfamoylbenzoic acid HCl salt (col. 9, lines 32-46, Ex. 4)
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;
3-dimethylsulfamoyl-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-benzoic acid HCl salt (col. 9, lines 47-68, Ex. 5)
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;
4-(4-n-butylpiperazine-1-yl)-6-chloro-3-sulfamoylbenzoic acid (col. 10, lines 1-16, Ex. 6)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-phenylsulfamoyl-benzoic acid (col. 10, lines 50-68, Ex. 9)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-morpholinosulfonyl-benzoic acid, and the HCl salt (col. 11, Ex. 12-13):
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;
4-(4-n-propylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-sulfamoylbenzoic acid (cols. 11-12, Ex. 14)
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;
3-dimethylsulfamoyl-4-(piperazine-1-yl)-benzoic acid (col. 12, Ex. 15)
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;
4-(4-ethylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-dimethylsulfamoyl-benzoic acid HCl salt (col. 13, Ex. 20)
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;
3-dibenzylsulfamoyl-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-benzoic acid HCl salt (cols. 13-14, Ex. 21)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-sulfamoylbenzonitrile (col. 14, Ex. 22)
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;
3-dimethylsulfamoyl-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-benzonitrile (col. 14, Ex. 23)
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;
4-(4-benzylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-dimethylsulfamoylbenzoic acid HBr salt (col. 14, Ex. 24)
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;
6-chloro-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-sulfamoylbenzoic acid (col. 16, Ex. 30)
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;
3-diethylsulfamoyl-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-benzoic acid (col. 16, Ex. 31)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-n-propylsulfamoylbenzoic acid HCl salt (col. 17, Ex. 36)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-pyrrolidinosulfonylbenzoic acid HCl salt (col. 17, Ex. 37)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-piperidinosulfonylbenzoic acid HCl salt (cols. 17-18, Ex. 38)
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;
4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-3-sulfamoylbenzonitrile (col. 14, Ex. 22)
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;
3-dimethylsulfamoyl-4-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-benzonitrile (col. 14, Ex. 23)
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. Sturm thus anticipates the claims.
Claim Objection
Claims 5, 9, and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 11/10/25 has been considered.
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 11/10/25; and the amendments filed on 11/10/25 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH PIHONAK whose telephone number is (571)270-7710. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kortney Klinkel can be reached at 571-270-5239. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SARAH . PIHONAK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1627
/SARAH PIHONAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1627
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