Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

37 pending office actions • 26 art units • 35 examiners • 0 of 37 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 75 patents granted in the last 365 days

Portfolio Summary

37
Total Pending OAs
25
Non-Final OAs
10
Final Rejections
2
Advisory / Quayle

Response Deadline Pressure

Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 37 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.

21
Overdue
2
Due this week
7
Due this month
4
Due in next 60 days
3
Due later

Deadline Fire Line

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. 37 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.

-30dToday30d60d90d120d
Overdue (21)Due ≤ 7 days (2)Due ≤ 30 days (7)Due ≤ 60 days (4)Due later (3)

Case Difficulty Mix

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.

1
Hard (3%)
25
Medium (68%)
2
Easy (5%)
9
Unknown (24%)

Rejection Statute Mix

BucketCases
§101 only1 (3%)
§103 only20 (54%)
§102 only4 (11%)
§112 only2 (5%)
Double-patenting + other1 (3%)
No statute on record9 (24%)

Industry Mix

How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.

33
Life Sciences
89% of docket
0
Information Tech
0% of docket
0
Communications
0% of docket
1
Semiconductors
3% of docket
3
Mechanical / Eng
8% of docket
0
Business / Other
0% of docket

Time-on-OA Estimate

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.

370 h
Manual time on pending OAs
74 h
Time saved (low, 20%)
130 h
Time saved (mid, 35%)
3.2 wks
FTE-weeks freed (mid)

Top Examiners on this docket

ExaminerApps on this docketAllow rateInterview lift
YOUNGBLOOD, WILLIAM JUSTIN 2 63.5% +38.8%
BRADLEY, CHRISTINA 2 62.7% +33.2%
BALLARD, KIMBERLY 1 53.7% +48.8%
HEIN, DEVIN C 1 45.8% +29.9%
PRIEST, JESSICA MARIE 1
FORD, VANESSA L 1 40.1% +38.3%
LUK, EMMANUEL S 1 71.3% +26.3%
VANHORN, ABIGAIL LOUISE 1 46.7% +22.1%
TANG, JIANMING 1
HOLLAND, PAUL J 1 57.5% +64.7%

Hard Cases (1)

Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 1 ordered by deadline are shown.

App #TitleExaminerDue in
19080665 System for Medicinal Supply Monitoring and Management for Pooled Medicinal Product Across Studies HEIN, DEVIN C 75d

Interview Candidates (10)

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 #TitleExaminerDue in
19346638 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF BALLARD, KIMBERLY 26d overdue
18548640 REDUCING HIGH MANNOSE GLYCAN PROTEIN EXPRESSION USING GUANOSINE 5'-MONOPHOSPHATE HOLLAND, PAUL J 19d overdue
17785279 STAPLED LACTAM CO-AGONISTS OF THE GLUCAGON AND GLP-1 RECEPTORS BRADLEY, CHRISTINA 4d overdue
17785287 STAPLED TRIAZOLE CO-AGONISTS OF THE GLUCAGON AND GLP-1 RECEPTORS BRADLEY, CHRISTINA 4d overdue
18405772 HIGH CONCENTRATION SOLUTION ANTIBODY FORMULATIONS COMPRISING ANTI-IL-23p19 ANTIBODIES FORD, VANESSA L 3d overdue
18553774 NOVEL FORMS OF CYCLIC DINUCLEOTIDE COMPOUNDS VANHORN, ABIGAIL LOUISE 6d
18557487 SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS OF KRAS G12C MUTANT YOUNGBLOOD, WILLIAM JUSTIN 14d
17784718 INDAZOLE DERIVATIVES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE TREATMENT OF HERPES VIRUSES YOUNGBLOOD, WILLIAM JUSTIN 14d

Top Art Units

Art UnitApps
1645 3
1629 2
1671 2
1619 2
1627 2
1647 2
3783 2
1621 2
1626 2
1654 2

Pending Office Actions

App #TitleExaminerArt UnitStatutesStatusDue inAIFiled
19346638 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF BALLARD, KIMBERLY 1675 Other Non-Final OA 26d overdue Pending Oct 01, 2025
19080665 System for Medicinal Supply Monitoring and Management for Pooled Medicinal Product Across Studies HEIN, DEVIN C 3686 §101 Non-Final OA 75d Pending Mar 14, 2025
18882177 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF ANTI-CTLA4 ANTIBODIES ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF PRIEST, JESSICA MARIE 1642 §103 Non-Final OA 47d Pending Sep 11, 2024
18405772 HIGH CONCENTRATION SOLUTION ANTIBODY FORMULATIONS COMPRISING ANTI-IL-23p19 ANTIBODIES FORD, VANESSA L 1674 Other Non-Final OA 3d overdue Pending Jan 05, 2024
18557487 SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS OF KRAS G12C MUTANT YOUNGBLOOD, WILLIAM JUSTIN 1629 §112 Non-Final OA 14d Pending Oct 26, 2023
18484485 BLOW-FILL SEALING METHOD FOR FILLING AND PACKAGING LUK, EMMANUEL S 1744 §103 Non-Final OA 19d Pending Oct 11, 2023
18553774 NOVEL FORMS OF CYCLIC DINUCLEOTIDE COMPOUNDS VANHORN, ABIGAIL LOUISE 1636 Other Non-Final OA 6d Pending Oct 03, 2023
18550348 A CLOSED-SYSTEM UPSTREAM MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR DENGUE VIRUS PRODUCTION TANG, JIANMING 1671 §103 Non-Final OA 4d overdue Pending Sep 13, 2023
18548640 REDUCING HIGH MANNOSE GLYCAN PROTEIN EXPRESSION USING GUANOSINE 5'-MONOPHOSPHATE HOLLAND, PAUL J 1656 §103 Non-Final OA 19d overdue Pending Sep 01, 2023
18263277 LIPID NANOPARTICLE ADJUVANT COMPOSITION FOR PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINES MORGAN, BAILEY MICHELLE 1645 Other Non-Final OA 9d overdue Pending Jul 27, 2023
18348787 DENSIFIED CO-PRECIPITATED MATERIALS ISOLATED BY THIN FILM EVAPORATION GOTFREDSON, GAREN 1619 §103 Non-Final OA 5d overdue Pending Jul 07, 2023
18258903 AMIDO-SUBSTITUTED PYRIDYL COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE TREATMENT OF HERPESVIRUSES NESTOR, DONNA MICHELLE 1627 Other Final Rejection 33d Pending Jun 22, 2023
18258397 IL-2 MUTEINS FOR TREATING AUTOIMMUNE AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES GURLEY, JAMI MICHELLE 1647 §103 Non-Final OA 15d overdue Pending Jun 20, 2023
18256943 MINI-TABLET DOSAGE FORM OF A VIRAL TERMINASE INHIBITOR AND USES THEREOF KASSA, TIGABU 1619 §103 Non-Final OA 15d overdue Pending Jun 12, 2023
18256997 FUSED BICYCLIC PYRAZOLE DERIVATIVES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE TREATMENT OF HERPESVIRUSES JOHNSON, CHRISTOPHER LINDSAY 1691 Other Non-Final OA 9d Pending Jun 12, 2023
18317377 SYRINGES AND INJECTORS WITH CAPACITIVE SENSING AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME SHAH, NILAY J 3783 §103 Non-Final OA 5d Pending May 15, 2023
18310238 Niraparib Compositions MOU, LIYUAN 1628 §103 Non-Final OA 55d Pending May 01, 2023
18250429 7-AZOLE SUBSTITUTED 2-AMINOQUINAZOLINE INHIBITORS OF HPK1 BELL, SARA ELIZABETH 1625 DPOther Final Rejection 62d Pending Apr 25, 2023
18250404 METHODS FOR TREATING HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES WITH AMINO-PYRROLOPYRIMIDINONE COMPOUNDS OTTON, ALICIA L 1699 §103 Non-Final OA 17d overdue Pending Apr 25, 2023
18246467 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND HYALURONIDASE VARIANTS AND FRAGMENTS THEREOF AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF CHHAY, BONIRATH 1645 Other Non-Final OA 43d overdue Pending Mar 23, 2023
18015671 CYCLIC CYANOENONE DERIVATIVES AS MODULATORS OF KEAP1 O DELL, DAVID K 1621 §103 Non-Final OA 16d overdue Pending Jan 11, 2023
18009310 5-OXOPYRROLIDINE-3-CARBOXAMIDES AS NAV1.8 INHIBITORS FERGUSON, JALISA HOLMES 1626 §102 Final Rejection 77d Pending Dec 08, 2022
18007776 RIPK1 INHIBITORS AND METHODS OF USE HERNANDEZ, JACKSON J 1627 §102 Final Rejection 36d overdue Pending Dec 02, 2022
17920876 MODULAR BLENDER AND METHOD OF USING SAME SORKIN, DAVID L 1774 §103 Non-Final OA 26d Pending Oct 24, 2022
17916664 AFFINITY MATURED ANTI-LAP ANTIBODIES AND USES THEREOF ALLEN, MARIANNE P 1647 §112 Non-Final OA 60d Pending Oct 03, 2022
17798754 ALTERNATIVE CANNULA CONFIGURATIONS TO CONTROL FLUID DISTRIBUTION IN TISSUE BOUCHELLE, LAURA A 3783 §103 Non-Final OA 38d overdue Pending Aug 10, 2022
17817382 HPV VACCINE ZOU, NIANXIANG 1671 §103 Non-Final OA 16d overdue Pending Aug 04, 2022
17789374 ARGINASE INHIBITORS AND METHODS OF USE WILSON, JERICA KATLYNN 1621 §102 Non-Final OA 66d overdue Pending Jun 27, 2022
17785750 NON-INVASIVE CONTINUOUS CAPACITANCE LEVEL DETECTOR DEVITO, ALEX T 2855 §103 Non-Final OA 89d overdue Pending Jun 15, 2022
17785772 STAPLED OLEFIN CO-AGONISTS OF THE GLUCAGON AND GLP-1 RECEPTORS KONOPELSKI SNAVEL, SARA ELIZABETH 1658 §103 Final Rejection 29d Pending Jun 15, 2022
17785279 STAPLED LACTAM CO-AGONISTS OF THE GLUCAGON AND GLP-1 RECEPTORS BRADLEY, CHRISTINA 1654 Other Final Rejection 4d overdue Pending Jun 14, 2022
17785287 STAPLED TRIAZOLE CO-AGONISTS OF THE GLUCAGON AND GLP-1 RECEPTORS BRADLEY, CHRISTINA 1654 §103 Final Rejection 4d overdue Pending Jun 14, 2022
17784718 INDAZOLE DERIVATIVES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE TREATMENT OF HERPES VIRUSES YOUNGBLOOD, WILLIAM JUSTIN 1629 §103 Non-Final OA 14d Pending Jun 13, 2022
17783938 USE OF BIOMARKERS IN IDENTIFYING PATIENTS THAT WILL BE RESPONSIVE TO TREATMENT WITH A PRMT5 INHIBITOR KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE 1635 Other Final Rejection 42d overdue Pending Jun 09, 2022
17779427 IN VITRO CELL BASED POTENCY ASSAY TAKENAKA, RISA 1632 §103 Final Rejection 9d Pending May 24, 2022
17614865 AN IMMUNOGENIC SEROTYPE 35B PNEUMOCOCCAL POLYSACCHARIDE-PROTEIN CONJUGATE AND CONJUGATION PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME KOLKER, DANIEL E 1645 §103 Final Rejection 139d overdue Pending Nov 29, 2021
17093833 OXAZOLIDINONE COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF AS ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS PATEL, SAGAR S 1626 §102 Non-Final OA 4d overdue Pending Nov 10, 2020

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