Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/549,928

METHOD OF TREATING DISEASES USING GREMLIN1 ANTAGONISTS

Non-Final OA §103§DP
Filed
Sep 11, 2023
Examiner
BELYAVSKYI, MICHAIL A
Art Unit
1644
Tech Center
1600 — Biotechnology & Organic Chemistry
Assignee
Suzhou Transcenta Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
64%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 1m
To Grant
91%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 64% of resolved cases
64%
Career Allow Rate
697 granted / 1091 resolved
+3.9% vs TC avg
Strong +27% interview lift
Without
With
+27.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 1m
Avg Prosecution
77 currently pending
Career history
1168
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.3%
-37.7% vs TC avg
§103
29.0%
-11.0% vs TC avg
§102
9.7%
-30.3% vs TC avg
§112
10.9%
-29.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1091 resolved cases

Office Action

§103 §DP
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 1. Applicant's amendment, filed 09/11/23 is acknowledged. 2. Claims 1,2, 4,7, 8-10,12,13,15,17,19,20,23,25,28,31,37,40, 43,47-49,56,58, 61, are pending. Claims 1,2, 4,7, 8-10,12,13,15,17,19,20,23,25,28,31,37,40, 43,47-49,56,58,61 read on a method of treating GREM1-expressing cancer in a subject comprising administering an effective amount of GREM1 antagonist are under consideration in the instant application . 3. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. 4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. 5. Claims 1 ,2, 4,7, 8-10,12,13,15,17,19,20,23,25,28,31, 43,47-49,56,58,61 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application 20230192831 or US Parent Application 20210253688 US Patent Application’831 teaches a method of treating GREM -1 expressing cancer on the patient comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of anti-GREM1 antibody. US Patent Application’831 teaches thar said cancer can be sarcoma or lung cancer of prostate . US Patent Application’831 teaches that administering of anti-GREM1 antibody can be combine with second therapeutic agent ( see entire document, paragraphs 0010, 0012, 0026, 0040, 0043 0052 in particular). US Patent Application’ 688 teaches a method of treating GREM-1 expressing cancer on the patient comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of anti-GREM1 antibody. US Patent Application’688 teaches thar said cancer can be sarcoma or lung cancer of prostate. US Patent Application’688 teaches that administering of anti-GREM1 antibody can be combine with second therapeutic agent ( see entire document, paragraphs 0002, 0019, 0035, 0067, 0085, 0095, 0154 in particular). It is noted that though US Patent Application’831 or US Patent Application’688 does not explicitly teaches that anti-GREM1 antibody are capable of binding a second antigen, said functional properties would be an obvious properties of the recited anti-GREM1 antibody, because the recited and instantly claimed anti- GREM1 antibody are the same in the absence of evidence of structural difference. Thus the reference antibody would inherently / obviously performed the intended use. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. When a claim recites using an old composition or structure (e.g. anti-GREM1 antibody ) ) and the use is directed to a result or property of that composition or structure then the claim is anticipated / obviouse . See MPEP 2112.02. Also, see Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Ben Venue Laboratories , Inc. 58 USPQ2d 1508 (CA FC 2001); Ex parte Novitski 26 USPQ 1389 (BPAI 1993 ); Mehl / Biophile International Corp. V. Milgraum , 52 USPQ2d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 1999); Atlas Powder Co. V. IRECO , 51 USPQ2d 1943 (Fed. Cir. 1999). Claims 49, 56 ,58, 59 are included because it would be conventional and within the skill of the art to : ( i ) identify and administer ed an optimal type of the second therapeutic agent or cancer drug Further, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller , 220 F2d 454,456,105 USPQ 233; 235 (CCPA 1955). see MPEP § 2144.05 part II A. It is well settled that "discovery of an optimum value of a result effective variable in a known process is ordinarily within the skill of the art." In re Boesch , 617 F.2d 272, 276, 205 USPQ 215, 219 (CCPA 1980). See also Merck & Co. v. Biocraft Labs. Inc. , 874 F.2d 804, 809, 10 USPQ2d 1843, 1847-48 (Fed. Cir. 1989) (determination of suitable dosage amounts in diuretic compositions considered a matter of routine experimentation and therefore obvious). From the teachings of the references, it was apparent that one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success in producing the claimed invention. Therefore, the invention as a whole was prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, as evidenced by the references, especially in the absence of evidence to the contrary. "The test of obviousness is not express suggestion of the claimed invention in any or all of the references but rather what the references taken collectively would suggest to those of ordinary skill in the art presumed to be familiar with them." See In re Rosselet , 146 USPQ 183, 186 (CCPA 1965). 6. 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 . 6. The claim s 1,2, 4,7, 8-10,12,13,15,17,19,20,23,25,28,31, 43,47-49,56,58,61 are provisionally rejected on the grounds of nonstatutory double patenting of the claim s of copending Application No. 18/261834 Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim s of copending Application No. 18/261834 recited a method of treating a GREM1-expressing cancer comprising administering anti-GREM1 antibody. This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the conflicting claims have not in fact been patented. 7. Claim s 37 and 40 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. 8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michail Belyavskyi whose telephone number is 571/272-0840. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. A message may be left on the examiner's voice mail service. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Gregory Emch can be reached on 571/ 272-8149 The fax 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). /MICHAIL A BELYAVSKYI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1644
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 11, 2023
Application Filed
Feb 24, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103, §DP (current)

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

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
64%
Grant Probability
91%
With Interview (+27.2%)
3y 1m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1091 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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