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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I along with compound 27 (Example 17 compound) in the reply filed on 05/11/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Applicant’s elected species is considered to be free of art. Accordingly, the search is extended to the next species of choice (where X1 is N; X2 is C; X3 is CR3= or CR4=; X4 is CR3= or CR4=; R1 is substituted C3-C6 alkyl where one or more substituents are halogen or -OZ1 wherein Z1 is hydrogen; R3 and R4 is independently hydrogen; R2 is substituted C3-C6 cycloalkyl where one or more substituents are independently selected from halogen or -OZ1 wherein Z1 is hydrogen), and the application is examined on the merits. Please note that claims 5-6 and 13-14 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0291021 (Bond et al., hereinafter “Bond”).
Bond discloses imidzol[1,5-a]pyridine compounds of formula (I) or a pharmaceutical composition comprising compounds of the formula (I) that are useful for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer-type dementia, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia and multiple system atrophy (abstract, para. [0012]-[0027], claims 1-22)). For example, compounds 2, 7 and 13 (Table 2) read on the instant compound of formula represented by the formula I where X1 is N, X2 is C, X3 is CR3= or CR4=, X4 is CR3= or CR4=, R1 is substituted C3-C6 alkyl where one or more substituents are halogen (e.g., F or Cl) or -OZ1 wherein Z1 is hydrogen, R3 and R4 is independently hydrogen, R2 is substituted C3-C6 cycloalkyl where one or more substituents are independently selected from halogen or -OZ1 wherein Z1 is hydrogen.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian-Yong Kwon whose telephone number is (571) 272-0581. The examiner can normally be reached usually Monday-Friday 7am to 4pm.
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.
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.
/BRIAN-YONG S KWON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1613
Prosecution Insights