Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/775,146

MODULATORS OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRANSMEMBRANE CONDUCTANCE REGULATOR

Non-Final OA §112§DP
Filed
Jul 17, 2024
Priority
Oct 06, 2014 — provisional 62/060,182 +7 more
Examiner
RAHMANI, NILOOFAR
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
74%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allowance Rate
880 granted / 1136 resolved
+17.5% vs TC avg
Minimal -3% lift
Without
With
+-3.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 11m
Avg Prosecution
35 currently pending
Career history
1151
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
18.8%
-21.2% vs TC avg
§102
32.5%
-7.5% vs TC avg
§112
22.7%
-17.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1136 resolved cases

Office Action

§112 §DP
DETAILED ACTION Claims 112-117, 122-128, 131, 134, 142, 157 are pending in the instant application. 2. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112: 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 142 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention. The term “table 1” is indefinite. Claim should be completed as written. Applicants need to insert “Table 1”. “Incorporation by reference to a specific figure or table of properties is permitted only in exceptional circumstances where there is no practical way to define the invention in words and where it is more concise to incorporate by reference than duplicating a drawing or table in to the claim. Incorporation by reference is a necessary doctrine, not for applicant’s convenience.”(Ex part Fressola, 27 USPQ2d 1608 (Bd. Pat. App. & Int. 1993)) and (see MPEP 2173.05(s)). 3. Claim Rejections - Obvious 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. See 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); and, In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 168 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent is shown to be commonly owned with this application. See 37 CFR 1.130 (b). Effective January 1,1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b). Claims 112-117, 122-128, 131, 134, 142, 157 are rejected under the judicially created doctrine obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over the claims 1-48 of US 10,738,030. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the current invention embraces the invention claimed in the above patent. Determination of the scope and content of the prior art (MPEP §2141.01) ‘030 claims analogues chemical compound in claims 1-48 as the instant claims 112-117, 122-128, 131, 134, 142, 157. Ascertainment of the difference between the prior art and the claims (MPEP §2141.02) The difference between the instant claims 112-117, 122-128, 131, 134, 142, 157 and the claims 1-48 of ‘030 patent is the claims are not word for word identical but the scope of the two sets of claims overlaps significantly with each other. Finding of prima facia obviousness-rational and motivation (MPEP §2142.2143) All the elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. 4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Niloofar Rahmani whose telephone number is 571-272-4329. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Renee Claytor, can be reached on 571-272-8394. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306. 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). /NILOOFAR RAHMANI/ 06/03/2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 17, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 08, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112, §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
78%
Grant Probability
74%
With Interview (-3.1%)
1y 11m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1136 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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