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 .
Claims 184-187, 192-194, 197-205 and 207-209 are pending in the application.
This action is in response to applicants' amendment dated July 7, 2026. Claims 186, 204 and 205 have been amended, claim 206 has been canceled and claims 208 and 209 are newly added.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's arguments filed July 7, 2026 have been fully considered with the following effect:
The applicant's amendments and arguments are sufficient to overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph rejections, labeled paragraph 1d) and e) in the last office action, which are hereby withdrawn. However, with regards to the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph rejections, labeled paragraph 1a), b) and c) of the last office action, the applicant’s amendments and remarks have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
a, b, and c) The applicants’ stated that claims 186, 204 and 205 are amended to recite “on average 45”. However, on average 45 does not set forth exactly what the value of n is meant to be. What average since there is only one variable n.
Claims 186, 204 and 205 are 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 applicant regards as the invention, for reasons of record and stated above.
In view of the amendment dated July 7, 2026, the following new grounds of rejection apply:
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 208 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. The following reasons apply:
Claim 208 is vague and indefinite in that it is not known what is meant by the compound of Formula (A-c) where there is not a Formula (A-c) within the claim.
Claim 208 is vague and indefinite in that it does not end with a period indicating the end of the claim.
Election/Restrictions
This application contains claims 187, 192-194, 197-203 and 207 are drawn to an invention nonelected without traverse in the reply filed on February 3, 2026. A complete reply to the final rejection must include cancellation of nonelected claims or other appropriate action (37 CFR 1.144) See MPEP § 821.01.
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) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 2283305-20-2 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)7CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 2247447-26-1 where RP2 is H; LP1 is C(=O)O; and RP2 is (CH2)11CH3.
Claim(s) 184 and 209 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 226067-30-7 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)13CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 201745-35-9 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2CH2C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)9CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 855477-46-2 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2CH2(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)7CH3.
Claim(s) 184, 185 and 208 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 791846-99-6 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2CH2C(=O)O; and RP2 is (CH2)11CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 226067-29-4 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2C(=O)O; and RP2 is (CH2)11CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 201745-33-7 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2CH2C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)11CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 202397-60-2 where RP2 is H; LP1 is CH2CH2C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)11CH3 disodium salt.
Claim(s) 184, 185, 208 and 209 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 70559-30-7 where RP2 is H; LP1 is C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)16CH3.
Claim(s) 184 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 2247447-27-2 where RP2 is H; LP1 is C(=O)O; and RP2 is (CH2)7CH3.
Claim(s) 184, 185 and 208 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CAS Registry No. 308134-20-5 where RP2 is H; LP1 is C(=O)NH; and RP2 is (CH2)11CH3.
Conclusion
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 BRENDA L COLEMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-0665. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-6 (flex).
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, Jeffrey H. Murray can be reached at 571-272-9023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRENDA L COLEMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1624
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