Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/561,331

METHODS OF TREATMENT OF CANCER PATIENTS HAVING ALTERED SETD2 BIOMARKER WITH A PD-1 ANTAGONIST

Non-Final OA

Filed

Nov 16, 2023

Priority

May 19, 2021 — provisional 63/190,494 +1 more

Examiner

VOLKOV, ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVIC

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 29% of cases after interview

— +23.8% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 86 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

VOLKOV, ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVIC View full profile →

Grants only 29% of cases

Career Allowance Rate

25 granted / 86 resolved

-30.9% vs TC avg

Strong +24% interview lift

Without

With

+23.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 10m

Avg Prosecution

33 currently pending

Career history

121

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

2.5%

-37.5% vs TC avg

§103

66.8%

+26.8% vs TC avg

§102

6.8%

-33.2% vs TC avg

§112

11.0%

-29.0% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 86 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 16, 2023

Application Filed

Jun 02, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/918,449

Patent 12669512

PROTEIN DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKER FOR SEVERE DRUG ERUPTION

3y 5m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/275,122

Patent 12656339

METHODS, REAGENTS, AND SUBSTRATES FOR DETECTING TARGET ANALYTES

5y 3m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

17/877,679

Patent 12655459

DETECTION OF ANALYTE

3y 10m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/057,629

Patent 12618828

Probe and Method for Detecting Membrane-Associated Molecules in Living Cells

3y 5m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

18/678,144

Patent 12590957

METHODS FOR MEASURING AN AMOUNT OF AN ANALYTE IN A COMPLEX SAMPLE

1y 10m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026

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

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

29%

Grant Probability

53%

With Interview (+23.8%)

3y 10m (~1y 2m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 86 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.