DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
The amendments and response filed 23 December 2025 are acknowledged and have considered in their entireties. Claims 24-25 are new; thus, claims 18-25 are pending; Claim 23 remains withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected subject matter, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Thus, claims 18-22 and 24-25 are subject to examination on the merits.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 23 December 2025 has been considered by the examiner. See initialed and signed PTO/SB/08’s.
Withdrawal of Previous Rejections
The rejection of claim 19 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite is withdrawn upon further consideration and in view of Applicants remarks.
The rejection of claim(s) 18- 22 under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Oehlenschlaeger et al. (WO 2017186943 – cited on 8 page IDS of 11/18/2022) in view of Rasmussen et al. (WO 2016001449 - cited on 8 page IDS of 11/18/2022) is withdrawn in view of the amendments to the claims and Applicant’s arguments. Example 1 does demonstrate a synergistic effect when combining the claimed sequences which necessitates the withdrawal of the instant rejection.
Maintained Objections/Rejections
Claim Objections
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities: the sequence identifier for sequence 24 has both a period and semi-colon. The use of extraneous periods in claims is not permitted (See MPEP 608.01(m)). Said sequence identifier should be recited as “SEQ ID NO:” - Appropriate correction is required.
Applicants Response and Examiner’s Rebuttal:
Applicants never addressed this objection.
Non-Statutory Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 18-22 and 24-25 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3, 5-12, 14-15 of copending Application No. 17786561 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims of the ’561 application anticipate the instant claims.
The instant claims in their broadest are drawn to a composition, comprising: a cleaning composition with a dispersin and a protease; wherein the dispersin comprises a polypeptide with at least 90% conservative sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 17; wherein the protease has at least 90% conservative sequence identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQID NO: 25, or SEQ ID NO: 26. Dependent claims recite the specific activity of the dispersin and the concentration of each component is from 0.01 to 1000ppm.
The claims to the ‘561 application in their broadest are drawn to a cleaning composition comprising a dispersin, a protease, and, optionally, at least one cleaning component, wherein the protease is selected from
(1) a protease comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:24 over its entire length and comprising the amino acid substitution R99E in combination with at least two further amino acid substitutions selected from the group consisting of S3T, V4I and V199I, wherein positional numbering is according to SEQ ID NO:24; or
(2) a protease comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:27, wherein the protease variant has a glutamic acid residue (E) in position 101, and wherein the protease variant further comprises one or more substitutions selected from S156D; L262E; Q137H; S3T; R45E,D; P55N; T58W,Y,L; Q59D,M,N,T; G61D,R; S87E; G97S; A98D,E,R; S106A,W; N117E; H120V,D,K,N; S124M; P129D; E136Q; S143W; S161T; S163A,G; Y171L; A172S; N185Q; V199M; Y209W; M222Q; N238H; V244T; N261T; and L262N,Q,D; or
(3) a protease comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:30 over its entire length and comprising an amino acid substitution in at least one position corresponding to positions 12, 43, 122, 127, 154, 156, 160, 211, 212 and 222 of SEQ ID NO:30; or
(4) a protease comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:39 over its entire length and comprising (i) at least two of the amino acid substitutions 3T, 4I, 99E and 199I at the positions corresponding to positions 3, 4, 99 and 199 of SEQ ID NO:39 and (ii) in at least one position corresponding to positions 74, 136, 143, 154, 161, 163, 171, 200, 203, 209, 212 or 256 of SEQ ID NO:39.
Dependent claims 8-9 recite the dispersin comprises SEQ ID NO: 17. Additional dependent claims recite the specific activity of the dispersin and the concentration of each component is from 0.01 to 1000ppm.
It is noted, instant SEQ ID NO: 17 and SEQ ID NO: 17 of the ‘561 application have 100% sequence identity to one another – See Supplemental Content 20250827_123545_us-17-786-562-17.rapbm, Duplicates for Result #1. In addition, instant SEQ ID NO: 24 has approximately 98.6% or 98.7% sequence identity to each of SEQ ID NO: 24, 27 and 39 (See alignments below).
Thus, the specific combination of claims 1 and 8-9 minimally would anticipate instant claim 18. The additional dependent claims 6-7, 10, 12 and 14 would render obvious instant dependent claims 19-23.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
SEQ ID NO: 24 (Qy, instant application) vs SEQ ID NO: 24 (Db, ‘561 application)
GenCore version 6.5.2
Copyright (c) 1993 - 2025 Biocceleration Ltd.
OM protein - protein search, using sw model
Run on: September 18, 2025, 13:50:43 ; Search time 1 Seconds
(without alignments)
0.072 Million cell updates/sec
Title: US-17-786-562-24
Perfect score: 1361
Sequence: 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRG..........SLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
Scoring table: BLOSUM62
Gapop 10.0 , Gapext 0.5
Searched: 1 seqs, 269 residues
Total number of hits satisfying chosen parameters: 1
Minimum DB seq length: 0
Maximum DB seq length: inf
Post-processing: Minimum Match 0%
Maximum Match 100%
Listing first 1 summaries
Database : US-17-786-561-24.pep:*
SUMMARIES
%
Result Query
No. Score Match Length DB ID Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 1342 98.6 269 1 US-17-786-561-24 CLEANING COMPOSITI
ALIGNMENTS
RESULT 1
US-17-786-561-24
Query Match 98.6%; Score 1342; DB 1; Length 269;
Best Local Similarity 98.1%;
Matches 264; Conservative 2; Mismatches 3; Indels 0; Gaps 0;
Qy 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRGLTGSGVKVAVLDTGISTHPDLNIRGGASFVPGEPSTQDGN 60
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRGLTGSGVKVAVLDTGISTHPDLNIRGGASFVPGEPSTQDGN 60
Qy 61 GHGTHVAGTIAALNNSIGVLGVAPSAELYAVKVLGASGSGSVSSIAQGLEWAGNNGMHVA 120
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | |::||||||||||||||||||
Db 61 GHGTHVAGTIAALNNSIGVLGVAPSAELYAVKVLGADGRGAISSIAQGLEWAGNNGMHVA 120
Qy 121 NLSLGSPSPSATLEQAVNSATSRGVLVVAASGNSGAGSISYPARYANAMAVGATDQNNNR 180
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 121 NLSLGSPSPSATLEQAVNSATSRGVLVVAASGNSGASSISYPARYANAMAVGATDQNNNR 180
Qy 181 ASFSQYGAGLDIVAPGVNVQSTYPGSTYASLNGTSMATPHVAGAAALVKQKNPSWSNVQI 240
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 181 ASFSQYGAGLDIVAPGVNVQSTYPGSTYASLNGTSMATPHVAGAAALVKQKNPSWSNVQI 240
Qy 241 RNHLKNTATSLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 241 RNHLKNTATSLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
SEQ ID NO: 24 (Qy, instant application) vs SEQ ID NO: 27 (Db, ‘561 application)
GenCore version 6.5.2
Copyright (c) 1993 - 2025 Biocceleration Ltd.
OM protein - protein search, using sw model
Run on: September 18, 2025, 13:52:43 ; Search time 1 Seconds
(without alignments)
0.072 Million cell updates/sec
Title: US-17-786-562-24
Perfect score: 1361
Sequence: 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRG..........SLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
Scoring table: BLOSUM62
Gapop 10.0 , Gapext 0.5
Searched: 1 seqs, 269 residues
Total number of hits satisfying chosen parameters: 1
Minimum DB seq length: 0
Maximum DB seq length: inf
Post-processing: Minimum Match 0%
Maximum Match 100%
Listing first 1 summaries
Database : US-17-786-561-27.pep:*
SUMMARIES
%
Result Query
No. Score Match Length DB ID Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 1343 98.7 269 1 US-17-786-561-27 CLEANING COMPOSITI
ALIGNMENTS
RESULT 1
US-17-786-561-27
Query Match 98.7%; Score 1343; DB 1; Length 269;
Best Local Similarity 98.1%;
Matches 264; Conservative 2; Mismatches 3; Indels 0; Gaps 0;
Qy 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRGLTGSGVKVAVLDTGISTHPDLNIRGGASFVPGEPSTQDGN 60
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRGLTGSGVKVAVLDTGISTHPDLNIRGGASFVPGEPSTQDGN 60
Qy 61 GHGTHVAGTIAALNNSIGVLGVAPSAELYAVKVLGASGSGSVSSIAQGLEWAGNNGMHVA 120
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | |::||||||||||||||||||
Db 61 GHGTHVAGTIAALNNSIGVLGVAPSAELYAVKVLGADGEGAISSIAQGLEWAGNNGMHVA 120
Qy 121 NLSLGSPSPSATLEQAVNSATSRGVLVVAASGNSGAGSISYPARYANAMAVGATDQNNNR 180
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 121 NLSLGSPSPSATLEQAVNSATSRGVLVVAASGNSGASSISYPARYANAMAVGATDQNNNR 180
Qy 181 ASFSQYGAGLDIVAPGVNVQSTYPGSTYASLNGTSMATPHVAGAAALVKQKNPSWSNVQI 240
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 181 ASFSQYGAGLDIVAPGVNVQSTYPGSTYASLNGTSMATPHVAGAAALVKQKNPSWSNVQI 240
Qy 241 RNHLKNTATSLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 241 RNHLKNTATSLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
SEQ ID NO: 24 (Qy, instant application) vs SEQ ID NO: 39 (Db, ‘561 application)
GenCore version 6.5.2
Copyright (c) 1993 - 2025 Biocceleration Ltd.
OM protein - protein search, using sw model
Run on: September 18, 2025, 13:53:55 ; Search time 1 Seconds
(without alignments)
0.072 Million cell updates/sec
Title: US-17-786-562-24
Perfect score: 1361
Sequence: 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRG..........SLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
Scoring table: BLOSUM62
Gapop 10.0 , Gapext 0.5
Searched: 1 seqs, 269 residues
Total number of hits satisfying chosen parameters: 1
Minimum DB seq length: 0
Maximum DB seq length: inf
Post-processing: Minimum Match 0%
Maximum Match 100%
Listing first 1 summaries
Database : US-17-786-561-39.pep:*
SUMMARIES
%
Result Query
No. Score Match Length DB ID Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 1342 98.6 269 1 US-17-786-561-39 CLEANING COMPOSITI
ALIGNMENTS
RESULT 1
US-17-786-561-39
Query Match 98.6%; Score 1342; DB 1; Length 269;
Best Local Similarity 98.1%;
Matches 264; Conservative 2; Mismatches 3; Indels 0; Gaps 0;
Qy 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRGLTGSGVKVAVLDTGISTHPDLNIRGGASFVPGEPSTQDGN 60
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 1 AQSVPWGISRVQAPAAHNRGLTGSGVKVAVLDTGISTHPDLNIRGGASFVPGEPSTQDGN 60
Qy 61 GHGTHVAGTIAALNNSIGVLGVAPSAELYAVKVLGASGSGSVSSIAQGLEWAGNNGMHVA 120
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | |::||||||||||||||||||
Db 61 GHGTHVAGTIAALNNSIGVLGVAPSAELYAVKVLGADGRGAISSIAQGLEWAGNNGMHVA 120
Qy 121 NLSLGSPSPSATLEQAVNSATSRGVLVVAASGNSGAGSISYPARYANAMAVGATDQNNNR 180
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 121 NLSLGSPSPSATLEQAVNSATSRGVLVVAASGNSGASSISYPARYANAMAVGATDQNNNR 180
Qy 181 ASFSQYGAGLDIVAPGVNVQSTYPGSTYASLNGTSMATPHVAGAAALVKQKNPSWSNVQI 240
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 181 ASFSQYGAGLDIVAPGVNVQSTYPGSTYASLNGTSMATPHVAGAAALVKQKNPSWSNVQI 240
Qy 241 RNHLKNTATSLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 241 RNHLKNTATSLGSTNLYGSGLVNAEAATR 269
Applicants Response and Examiner’s Rebuttal:
Applicant’s assert they have filed a terminal disclaimer of the copending application 17786561 thus rendering the instant rejection moot (See Remarks, p. 10).
The Examiner notes no terminal disclaimer has been filed. The rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
No claim is allowed.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SUZANNE M NOAKES whose telephone number is (571)272-2924. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (7-4).
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, Manjunath Rao can be reached at 571-272-0939. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SUZANNE M NOAKES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1656 20 January 2026