Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/629,303

CYSTEINE BINDING COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

Final Rejection §102
Filed
Jan 21, 2022
Examiner
JARRELL, NOBLE E
Art Unit
1699
Tech Center
1600 — Biotechnology & Organic Chemistry
Assignee
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PATENT FOUNDATION
OA Round
2 (Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
3y 2m
To Grant
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allow Rate
824 granted / 1014 resolved
+21.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+8.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 2m
Avg Prosecution
56 currently pending
Career history
1070
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.1%
-38.9% vs TC avg
§103
16.0%
-24.0% vs TC avg
§102
20.9%
-19.1% vs TC avg
§112
41.9%
+1.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1014 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION 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 . Response to Amendment The amendment filed 2025 December 1 containing newly amended claims 24-30, withdrawn claims 32-35, and newly added claims 50 and 51 is acknowledged. The objections of claim 24-30 are overcome because variable Z is uppercase in the formula and body of claim 24 and each compound of claim 30 is on its own line. The 35 U.S.C. 112 (b) rejection is overcome because the “for example language” is no longer present in claim 24 and an acyl group is a broad group rather than an indefinite group. An acyl group is simply a C(O) group attached to any other group than OH. The 35 U.S.C. 102 rejections are overcome due to examined variable R5 no longer being an aryl or substituted aryl group. Claims 32-35 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2025 May 12. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2025 December 1 was submitted in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 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) 24-26, 50, and 51 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SALA (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2010, 18, 4374-4384). Sala describes several compounds: 5-18 (page 4375); 21 (page 4376, table 3); 8b and 22 (page 4376); 30 and 32 (page 4376, scheme 3); 31-40 (page 4377, scheme 4); 41 and 42 (page 4377, scheme 5); and 45 and 46 (page 4376, scheme 6). PNG media_image1.png 108 346 media_image1.png Greyscale In these compounds, the following examined definitions apply: R3 is Cl; R4 is H; and Z is an unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl group. Compounds 5 and 6 are representative examples of the other compounds present relied upon for the rejection. Claim(s) 24-26, 50, and 51 is/are rejected 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by TROST (Journal of the American Chemical Society , 2000, 122, 5947-5956). Sala describes several compounds: 21a-c (page 5950, scheme 3); 26, 28, 34, and 31b (page 5951, scheme 4); 29-31, 32a, 33a (page 5951, scheme 5); 37-39 (page 5952, scheme 7); 40-53 (page 5952, scheme 8); and 55, 56, and 58-62 (page 5953, scheme 9). PNG media_image2.png 422 386 media_image2.png Greyscale In these compounds, the following examined definitions apply: R3 is Cl; R4 is H; and Z is an unsubstituted or substituted cycopentyl group. Compounds 21a-c are representative examples of the other compounds present relied upon for the rejection. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 24-26, 50, and 51 are not allowed. Claims 27-30 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: SALA (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2010, 18, 4374-4384) does not describe compounds in which examined variable R4 is a halogen. . Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOBLE E JARRELL whose telephone number is (571)272-9077. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fereydoun Sajjadi can be reached at 571-272-3311. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /NOBLE E JARRELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1699
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 21, 2022
Application Filed
Jun 27, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Dec 01, 2025
Response Filed
Feb 18, 2026
Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+8.7%)
3y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1014 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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