Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 16, 2026
Application No. 18/851,859

SYNTHESIS OF DOPAMINE D3 RECEPTOR SELECTIVE ANTAGONISTS/PARTIAL AGONISTS

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Sep 27, 2024
Priority
Mar 30, 2022 — provisional 63/325,313 +1 more
Examiner
COLEMAN, BRENDA LIBBY
Art Unit
1624
Tech Center
1600 — Biotechnology & Organic Chemistry
Assignee
United States Department of Health and Human Services
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
75%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
6m
Est. Remaining
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 75% — above average
75%
Career Allowance Rate
1219 granted / 1633 resolved
+14.6% vs TC avg
Strong +16% interview lift
Without
With
+15.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
50 currently pending
Career history
1666
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
3.5%
-36.5% vs TC avg
§103
8.5%
-31.5% vs TC avg
§102
15.8%
-24.2% vs TC avg
§112
52.7%
+12.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1633 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
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 1-8, 17, 19-28 and 41 are pending in this application. Priority Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has not complied with one or more conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) as follows: The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994). The disclosure of the prior-filed application, Application No. 63/325,313, fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application. 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. Claims 22-28 and 41 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The following reasons apply: Claim 22 and claims dependent thereon are vague and indefinite in that it is not known what is meant by the statement of intended use, which does not limit the scope of the claim under the broadest reasonable interpretation and therefore is not given material weight. Note In re Tuominen 671 F.2d 1359, 1360, 213 USPQ 89, 90 (C.C.P.A. 1982). Claims 23-28 are vague and indefinite in that they are duplicates of claims 3-8, claim the exact same process. 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. (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) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Newman et al., WO 2017160552. Newman teaches compound 5 and compound 7 as claimed herein. See Scheme 1 where compound 5 is A7 and compound 7 is A(9R). Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Newman et al., WO 2017160552. Newman teaches compound 5 and compound 7 as claimed herein. See Scheme 4 where compound 5 is 11a and compound 7 is 12a. Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gogarnoiu et al., Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Gogarnoiu teaches the hydrochloride salt of compound 5 as claimed herein. See page 14, line 19. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-8, 19 and 19-21 are allowed. None of the prior art of record nor a search in the pertinent art area teaches the process of preparing compound 8 as claimed herein. 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 on 571-272-9023. 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. /BRENDA L COLEMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1624
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 27, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 28, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §112 (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
75%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+15.6%)
2y 5m (~6m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1633 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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