Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology areas: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals • Transportation, E-Commerce & Mechanical Systems
24 pending office actions • 8 art units • 21 examiners • 0 of 24 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 9 patents granted in the last 365 days
Foundation Medicine Inc. manages a portfolio of 22 pending office actions within the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals technology area. These 22 pending office actions are distributed across 19 distinct examiners, indicating that while most examiners handle a single case, there is some minor overlap in the prosecution assignments. The workload is further divided among 7 distinct art units, reflecting the technical breadth of the company's biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovations.
KIM, YOUNG J is the busiest examiner for the company, overseeing 3 pending office actions. This represents the highest concentration of cases for any single examiner in the portfolio, as the remaining pending office actions are spread among the other distinct examiners. Managing the cases across 7 distinct art units requires a coordinated effort to ensure consistency in technical arguments, especially when dealing with the 19 distinct examiners who may have differing views on patentability within the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals sector.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 6 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 6 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 only | 1 (4%) |
| §101 + other | 14 (58%) |
| §103 only | 4 (17%) |
| §112 only | 3 (12%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 2 (8%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIM, YOUNG J | 3 | 64.8% | +18.1% |
| POHNERT, STEVEN C | 2 | 12.4% | +18.5% |
| NGUYEN, TRAN N | 1 | 61.9% | +16.8% |
| KALLAL, ROBERT JAMES | 1 | 60.0% | +32.4% |
| GARTLAND, SCOTT D | 1 | 10.9% | +12.2% |
| ALLEN, KYLA GUAN-PING TI | 1 | 89.0% | +16.7% |
| PATEL, PINALBEN V | 1 | 89.2% | +9.5% |
| KOROMA, SORIE IBRAHIM | 1 | — | — |
| CASH, KAILEY ELIZABETH | 1 | 28.6% | +64.3% |
| GOLDBERG, JEANINE ANNE | 1 | 45.8% | +40.8% |
Cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate of 80%+ where the difficulty is Easy or Medium. The top 2 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18924829 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MACHINE LEARNING-BASED PREDICTION OF GENE ALTERATIONS FROM PATHOLOGY IMAGES | ALLEN, KYLA GUAN-PING TI | — |
| 18915180 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COMPUTATIONAL SEX DETERMINATION FROM HISTOLOGIC SECTIONS | PATEL, PINALBEN V | — |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16579500 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING GENOMIC INFORMATION | WOITACH, JOSEPH T | 99d overdue |
| 17746712 | PRECISION ENRICHMENT OF PATHOLOGY SPECIMENS | SANFORD, DIANA PATRICIA | 31d overdue |
| 18975942 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CHARACTERIZING AND TREATING A DISEASE | GARTLAND, SCOTT D | 5d |
| 18027826 | METHODS FOR DETERMINING VARIANT FREQUENCY AND MONITORING DISEASE PROGRESSION | NEWTON, CHAD A | 12d |
| 19103529 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTION OF MISMATCH REPAIR DEFICIENCY | NGUYEN, TRAN N | — |
| 19020349 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING CIRCULATING TUMOR DNA FRACTION IN A PATIENT SAMPLE | KALLAL, ROBERT JAMES | — |
| 18910993 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREDICTING SLIDE-LEVEL CLASS LABELS FOR A WHOLE-SLIDE IMAGE | KOROMA, SORIE IBRAHIM | — |
| 18722508 | DETECTION OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC INFORMATION IN A SINGLE WORKFLOW | KIM, YOUNG J | — |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18975942 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CHARACTERIZING AND TREATING A DISEASE | GARTLAND, SCOTT D | 5d |
| 19103529 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTION OF MISMATCH REPAIR DEFICIENCY | NGUYEN, TRAN N | — |
| 19020349 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING CIRCULATING TUMOR DNA FRACTION IN A PATIENT SAMPLE | KALLAL, ROBERT JAMES | — |
| 18924829 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MACHINE LEARNING-BASED PREDICTION OF GENE ALTERATIONS FROM PATHOLOGY IMAGES | ALLEN, KYLA GUAN-PING TI | — |
| 18722508 | DETECTION OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC INFORMATION IN A SINGLE WORKFLOW | KIM, YOUNG J | — |
| 18712646 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REPORTING CLINICALLY-ACTIONABLE POTENTIAL GERMLINE PATHOGENIC VARIANT SEQUENCES | KIM, YOUNG J | — |
| 18709782 | FRAGMENT CONSENSUS METHODS FOR ULTRASENSITIVE DETECTION OF ABERRANT METHYLATION | CASH, KAILEY ELIZABETH | — |
| 18699569 | CD274 REARRANGEMENTS AS PREDICTORS OF RESPONSE TO IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR THERAPY | GOLDBERG, JEANINE ANNE | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1682 | 4 |
| 3685 | 2 |
| 1683 | 2 |
| 1687 | 2 |
| 1685 | 1 |
| 3681 | 1 |
| 1686 | 1 |
| 1642 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19103529 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTION OF MISMATCH REPAIR DEFICIENCY | NGUYEN, TRAN N | 3685 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 12, 2025 |
| 19020349 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING CIRCULATING TUMOR DNA FRACTION IN A PATIENT SAMPLE | KALLAL, ROBERT JAMES | 1685 | §101 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 14, 2025 |
| 18975942 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CHARACTERIZING AND TREATING A DISEASE | GARTLAND, SCOTT D | 3685 | §101§102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 5d | Pending | Dec 10, 2024 |
| 18924829 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MACHINE LEARNING-BASED PREDICTION OF GENE ALTERATIONS FROM PATHOLOGY IMAGES | ALLEN, KYLA GUAN-PING TI | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 23, 2024 |
| 18915180 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COMPUTATIONAL SEX DETERMINATION FROM HISTOLOGIC SECTIONS | PATEL, PINALBEN V | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 14, 2024 |
| 18910993 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREDICTING SLIDE-LEVEL CLASS LABELS FOR A WHOLE-SLIDE IMAGE | KOROMA, SORIE IBRAHIM | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 09, 2024 |
| 18722508 | DETECTION OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC INFORMATION IN A SINGLE WORKFLOW | KIM, YOUNG J | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 20, 2024 |
| 18712646 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REPORTING CLINICALLY-ACTIONABLE POTENTIAL GERMLINE PATHOGENIC VARIANT SEQUENCES | KIM, YOUNG J | — | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 22, 2024 |
| 18709782 | FRAGMENT CONSENSUS METHODS FOR ULTRASENSITIVE DETECTION OF ABERRANT METHYLATION | CASH, KAILEY ELIZABETH | — | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 13, 2024 |
| 18699569 | CD274 REARRANGEMENTS AS PREDICTORS OF RESPONSE TO IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR THERAPY | GOLDBERG, JEANINE ANNE | — | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 08, 2024 |
| 18607277 | MULTIGENE ANALYSIS OF TUMOR SAMPLES | LAFAVE, ELIZABETH ROSE | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 15, 2024 |
| 18689774 | GENE FUSIONS IN SARCOMA | KIM, YOUNG J | — | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 06, 2024 |
| 18570006 | METHODS OF USING SOMATIC HLA-I LOH TO PREDICT RESPONSE OF IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR-TREATED PATIENTS WITH LUNG CANCER | GRAY, JESSICA | 1682 | §101§103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 13, 2023 |
| 18274675 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CHARACTERIZING AND TREATING COMBINED HEPATOCELLULAR CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA | VANNI, GEORGE STEVEN | — | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 27, 2023 |
| 18269937 | ALK FUSION GENES AND USES THEREOF | DAUNER, JOSEPH G | 1682 | §112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 27, 2023 |
| 18267701 | IGH REARRANGEMENTS AND USES THEREOF | POHNERT, STEVEN C | 1683 | §101§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 15, 2023 |
| 18027826 | METHODS FOR DETERMINING VARIANT FREQUENCY AND MONITORING DISEASE PROGRESSION | NEWTON, CHAD A | 3681 | §101§102 | Final Rejection | 12d | Pending | Mar 22, 2023 |
| 18025365 | METHODS OF DETECTING AN INACTIVATING MUTATION OF PBRM1 IN MENINGIOMA | SITTON, JEHANNE SOUAYA | 1682 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 18d overdue | Pending | Mar 08, 2023 |
| 18008410 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISTINGUISHING SOMATIC GENOMIC SEQUENCES FROM GERMLINE GENOMIC SEQUENCES | PLAYER, ROBERT AUSTIN | 1686 | §101§103DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 05, 2022 |
| 17802436 | MITIGATION OF STATISTICAL BIAS IN GENETIC SAMPLING | POHNERT, STEVEN C | 1683 | §101§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 25, 2022 |
| 17746712 | PRECISION ENRICHMENT OF PATHOLOGY SPECIMENS | SANFORD, DIANA PATRICIA | 1687 | §101§102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 31d overdue | Pending | May 17, 2022 |
| 17774452 | METHODS OF DETECTING A FUSION GENE ENCODING A NEOANTIGEN | VANN-OJUEKAIYE, KENDRA RAYCHELL | 1682 | §101§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 04, 2022 |
| 17535492 | METHODS OF TREATING UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA | GODDARD, LAURA B | 1642 | §112 | Final Rejection | 8d | Pending | Nov 24, 2021 |
| 16579500 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING GENOMIC INFORMATION | WOITACH, JOSEPH T | 1687 | §101§103§112DP | Final Rejection | 99d overdue | Pending | Sep 23, 2019 |
IP Author helps IP teams respond to office actions faster with AI-generated responses, examiner analytics, and prosecution intelligence.
Start Free Trial