Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 18, 2026

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

66 pending office actions • 32 art units • 60 examiners • 0 of 66 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 75 patents granted in the last 365 days

Portfolio Summary

66
Total Pending OAs
49
Non-Final OAs
15
Final Rejections
2
Advisory / Quayle

Response Deadline Pressure

Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 20 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.

11
Overdue
2
Due this week
3
Due this month
3
Due in next 60 days
1
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. 20 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.

-30dToday30d60d90d120d
Overdue (11)Due ≤ 7 days (2)Due ≤ 30 days (3)Due ≤ 60 days (3)Due later (1)

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.

29
Hard (44%)
24
Medium (36%)
13
Easy (20%)
0
Unknown (0%)

Rejection Statute Mix

BucketCases
§101 only1 (2%)
§103 only12 (18%)
§102 only2 (3%)
§112 only9 (14%)
Double-patenting only4 (6%)
Double-patenting + other10 (15%)
Multi-statute (no §101)28 (42%)

Industry Mix

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

44
Life Sciences
67% of docket
0
Information Tech
0% of docket
1
Communications
2% of docket
1
Semiconductors
2% of docket
4
Mechanical / Eng
6% of docket
16
Business / Other
24% 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.

660 h
Manual time on pending OAs
132 h
Time saved (low, 20%)
231 h
Time saved (mid, 35%)
5.8 wks
FTE-weeks freed (mid)

Top Examiners on this docket

ExaminerApps on this docketAllow rateInterview lift
BALLARD, KIMBERLY 2 53.9% +48.3%
PRIEST, JESSICA MARIE 2
MARTIN, KEVIN STEPHEN 2 75.8% +24.5%
MCINTOSH III, TRAVISS C 2 73.2% +14.0%
MOU, LIYUAN 2 43.5% +57.7%
KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE 2 58.2% +64.5%
GODDARD, LAURA B 1 51.0% +14.0%
HEIN, DEVIN C 1 46.0% +29.8%
MEAH, MOHAMMAD Y 1 70.9% +42.6%
CHICKS, ASHLI ARIANA 1 63.2% +45.9%

Hard Cases (29)

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 #TitleExaminerDue in
17783938 USE OF BIOMARKERS IN IDENTIFYING PATIENTS THAT WILL BE RESPONSIVE TO TREATMENT WITH A PRMT5 INHIBITOR KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE 42d overdue
17798754 ALTERNATIVE CANNULA CONFIGURATIONS TO CONTROL FLUID DISTRIBUTION IN TISSUE BOUCHELLE, LAURA A 38d overdue
18258397 IL-2 MUTEINS FOR TREATING AUTOIMMUNE AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES GURLEY, JAMI MICHELLE 15d overdue
18263277 LIPID NANOPARTICLE ADJUVANT COMPOSITION FOR PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINES MORGAN, BAILEY MICHELLE 9d overdue
17093833 OXAZOLIDINONE COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF AS ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS PATEL, SAGAR S 4d overdue
18553774 NOVEL FORMS OF CYCLIC DINUCLEOTIDE COMPOUNDS VANHORN, ABIGAIL LOUISE 6d
18484485 BLOW-FILL SEALING METHOD FOR FILLING AND PACKAGING LUK, EMMANUEL S 19d
17920876 MODULAR BLENDER AND METHOD OF USING SAME SORKIN, DAVID L 26d

Interview Candidates (14)

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
17783938 USE OF BIOMARKERS IN IDENTIFYING PATIENTS THAT WILL BE RESPONSIVE TO TREATMENT WITH A PRMT5 INHIBITOR KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE 42d overdue
19346638 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF BALLARD, KIMBERLY 26d overdue
19346648 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF GODDARD, LAURA B 15d overdue
18310238 Niraparib Compositions MOU, LIYUAN 55d
19080665 System for Medicinal Supply Monitoring and Management for Pooled Medicinal Product Across Studies HEIN, DEVIN C 75d
19346623 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF BALLARD, KIMBERLY
18851288 PROCESS FOR PREPARING ((1S,2S)-2-(5-METHYLPYRIDIN-2-YL)CYCLOPROPYL)METHANOL MEAH, MOHAMMAD Y
18893201 FORMULATIONS OF ANTIVIRAL COMPOUNDS CHICKS, ASHLI ARIANA

Top Art Units

Art UnitApps
1628 4
1675 3
1642 3
1645 3
1626 3
1624 3
1627 2
1647 2
1774 2
3783 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 §103DP Final Rejection 26d overdue Pending Oct 01, 2025
19346648 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF GODDARD, LAURA B 1642 DP Final Rejection 15d overdue Pending Oct 01, 2025
19346623 STABLE FORMULATIONS OF PROGRAMMED DEATH RECEPTOR 1 (PD-1) ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF BALLARD, KIMBERLY 1675 §103DPOther Final Rejection 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
18851288 PROCESS FOR PREPARING ((1S,2S)-2-(5-METHYLPYRIDIN-2-YL)CYCLOPROPYL)METHANOL MEAH, MOHAMMAD Y §112 Non-Final OA Pending Sep 26, 2024
18893201 FORMULATIONS OF ANTIVIRAL COMPOUNDS CHICKS, ASHLI ARIANA §103 Non-Final OA Pending Sep 23, 2024
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§112 Non-Final OA 47d Pending Sep 11, 2024
18812253 COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE POLYSACCHARIDE-PROTEIN CONJUGATES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF GANGLE, BRIAN J §112 Non-Final OA Pending Aug 22, 2024
18836154 ADENOSINE RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS AND THEIR USE THEREOF MARTIN, KEVIN STEPHEN §103§112DP Non-Final OA Pending Aug 06, 2024
18758424 ENCLOSURE FOR MITIGATION OF LEAKAGE BY SYRINGE ASSEMBLY STRANSKY, KATRINA MARIE §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Jun 28, 2024
18724365 PROTEASE INHIBITORS FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING CORONAVIRUS INFECTION KUCHARCZK, JED A §112 Non-Final OA Pending Jun 26, 2024
18720152 PYRAZOLOPYRIMIDINE DERIVATIVES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE TREATMENT OF HERPESVIRUSES RZECZYCKI, PHILLIP MATTHEW §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Jun 14, 2024
18737001 NEEDLE UNCAPPING DEVICE SWANSON, LEAH JENNINGS §103 Non-Final OA Pending Jun 07, 2024
18675302 ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS OF 4'-ETHYNYL NUCLEOSIDE ANALOGS MCINTOSH III, TRAVISS C 1657 DP Non-Final OA Pending May 28, 2024
18711216 GLUCOSE-RESPONSIVE INSULIN CONJUGATES COMPRISING A TETRA-VALENT SUGAR CLUSTER FOR TREATMENT OF DIABETES ORWIG, KEVIN S §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending May 17, 2024
18665951 PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF DICKENS, AMELIA NICOLE 1645 §102§103§112DP Non-Final OA Pending May 16, 2024
18710007 AMPOULE FOR ORAL VACCINE ADMINISTRATION AND METHODS OF USE WENG, KAI H 3781 §102§103 Non-Final OA Pending May 14, 2024
18655408 POLYNUCLEOTIDES ENCODING NOROVIRUS VP1 ANTIGENS AND USES THEREOF HILL, MYRON G 1617 §102§103 Non-Final OA Pending May 06, 2024
18653396 TABLET COLLECTION DEVICE LEEDS, DANIEL JEREMY 2842 §102§112 Non-Final OA Pending May 02, 2024
18701306 VIAL-TO-SYRINGE CONVERTER AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME RITCHIE, HADEN MATTHEW §103 Non-Final OA Pending Apr 15, 2024
18701430 MULTI-CARTRIDGE INJECTOR AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME RADOMSKI, MARTIN ADAM §102§103 Non-Final OA Pending Apr 15, 2024
18698401 TRICYCLIC SULFAMIDES AND SULTAMS SZNAIDMAN, MARCOS L 1628 DP Non-Final OA Pending Apr 04, 2024
18689148 ALLOSTERIC MODULATORS OF NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS STOCKTON, LAURA LYNNE 1626 §102§112 Non-Final OA Pending Mar 05, 2024
18423652 PRODRUGS OF 4'-SUBSTITUTED NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS MCINTOSH III, TRAVISS C §103Other Non-Final OA Pending Jan 26, 2024
18419514 INTERACTIVE GOWNING AND GOWNING VERIFICATION PERLMAN, DAVID S 2673 §103 Final Rejection Pending Jan 22, 2024
18580255 METHODS FOR TREATING CANCER USING A COMBINATION OF A PD-1 ANTAGONIST, AN ILT4 ANTAGONIST, AND CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS PRIEST, JESSICA MARIE §102§103§112DP Non-Final OA Pending Jan 18, 2024
18578343 IL-2 MUTEINS FOR TREATING CANCER OR INFECTION REYNOLDS, FRED H §103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Jan 11, 2024
18569352 IL4I1 INHIBITORS AND METHODS OF USE HSU, GRACE CHING 1627 §102 Non-Final OA Pending Dec 12, 2023
18564642 FUNCTIONAL CELL-BASED POTENCY ASSAY FOR MEASURING BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF INTERLEUKIN 2 (IL-2) ANALOGS TIWARI, VYOMA SHUBHAM §112 Non-Final OA Pending Nov 28, 2023
18563157 TRANSAMINASE ENZYMES FOR THE TRANSAMINATION OF (1S,5R)-6,8-DIOXABICYCLO[3.2.1]OCTAN-4-ONE HUTSON, RICHARD G 1652 §112 Non-Final OA Pending Nov 21, 2023
18561331 METHODS OF TREATMENT OF CANCER PATIENTS HAVING ALTERED SETD2 BIOMARKER WITH A PD-1 ANTAGONIST VOLKOV, ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVIC §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Nov 16, 2023
18557667 ARYL 3-OXOPIPERAZINE CARBOXAMIDES AND HETEROARYL 3-OXOPIPERAZINE CARBOXAMIDES AS NAV1.8 INHIBITORS MAYHEW, BRADLEY SCOTT 1621 §102§103 Non-Final OA Pending Oct 27, 2023
18556226 PHENYL AZEPINES AS RIPK1 INHIBITORS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF MARTIN, KEVIN STEPHEN 1624 §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Oct 19, 2023
18484631 COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR TREATING CANCER WITH SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-PD1 ANTIBODIES GUSTILO, ESTELLA M 1646 §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Oct 11, 2023
18484485 BLOW-FILL SEALING METHOD FOR FILLING AND PACKAGING LUK, EMMANUEL S 1744 §102§103 Non-Final OA 19d Pending Oct 11, 2023
18554213 METHODS FOR TREATING CANCER WITH SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-PD1 ANTIBODIES STEPHENS, AMELIA CAROLE 1645 §102§103§112DP Non-Final OA Pending Oct 06, 2023
18553774 NOVEL FORMS OF CYCLIC DINUCLEOTIDE COMPOUNDS VANHORN, ABIGAIL LOUISE 1636 §103§112Other Non-Final OA 6d Pending Oct 03, 2023
18552676 NOVEL FORMS OF CYCLIC DINUCLEOTIDE COMPOUNDS MAHADEVAN, JANAKI ANANTH 1637 §103§112DP Non-Final OA Pending Sep 27, 2023
18471375 PHTHALAZINE DERIVATIVES USEFUL AS INHIBITORS OF NOD-LIKE RECEPTOR PROTEIN 3 WELLS, LAUREN QUINLAN 1622 §112 Non-Final OA Pending Sep 21, 2023
18550537 METHODS FOR TREATING CANCER WITH ANTI-ILT3 ANTIBODIES JOHANSEN, PETER N. 1644 §102§103DP Non-Final OA Pending Sep 14, 2023
18550303 HETEROARYL AMIDES AS LRRK2 INHIBITORS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND USES THEREOF MOU, LIYUAN 1628 §103DP Non-Final OA Pending Sep 13, 2023
18548640 REDUCING HIGH MANNOSE GLYCAN PROTEIN EXPRESSION USING GUANOSINE 5'-MONOPHOSPHATE HOLLAND, PAUL J 1656 §103 Final Rejection 19d overdue Pending Sep 01, 2023
18240392 EXATECAN-DERIVED TOPOISOMERASE-1 INHIBITORS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND USES THEREOF SHIM, DAVID M. 1626 §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Aug 31, 2023
18263277 LIPID NANOPARTICLE ADJUVANT COMPOSITION FOR PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINES MORGAN, BAILEY MICHELLE 1645 §103§112Other Non-Final OA 9d overdue Pending Jul 27, 2023
18258397 IL-2 MUTEINS FOR TREATING AUTOIMMUNE AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES GURLEY, JAMI MICHELLE 1647 §103§112 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
18255016 COMPACT CONTAINMENT SYSTEM FOR ISOLATING, PROCESSING AND PACKAGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS COOLEY, CHARLES E 1774 §112 Non-Final OA Pending May 30, 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
18252271 FULL-LENGTH HUMAN IMMUNOGLOBULIN G ANTIBODY LIBRARIES FOR SURFACE DISPLAY AND SECRETION IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE CURRENS, GRANT CARSON 1684 DP Non-Final OA Pending May 09, 2023
18252217 3-AMINO PYRROLIDINE AND PIPERIDINE MACROCYCLIC OREXIN RECEPTOR AGONISTS COLEMAN, BRENDA LIBBY 1624 §102§103§112 Non-Final OA Pending May 09, 2023
18310238 Niraparib Compositions MOU, LIYUAN 1628 §102§103§112 Non-Final OA 55d Pending May 01, 2023
18246408 CORONAVIRUS REPLICONS FOR ANTIVIRAL SCREENING AND TESTING KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE 1635 §102§103 Final Rejection Pending Mar 23, 2023
18041815 INSULIN RECEPTOR PARTIAL AGONISTS BEANE, RANDALL L 1654 §103§112 Non-Final OA Pending Feb 16, 2023
18015387 ADENOSINE A2A AND A2B RECEPTOR DUAL ANTAGONISTS FOR IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY HERNANDEZ, JACKSON J 1627 §103DP Final Rejection 38d overdue Pending Jan 10, 2023
17927222 PYRAZOLO[4,3-d]PYRIMIDINE DERIVATIVES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE TREATMENT OF CELLULAR PROLIFERATIVE DISORDERS SAMSELL, RILLA MARIE 1624 §102§103§112 Final Rejection Pending Nov 22, 2022
17924780 NOVEL DIACYLGLYCERIDE O-ACYLTRANSFERASE 2 INHIBITORS JARRELL, NOBLE E 1699 §102 Non-Final OA Pending Nov 11, 2022
17920876 MODULAR BLENDER AND METHOD OF USING SAME SORKIN, DAVID L 1774 §103§112 Final Rejection 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 §102§103§112 Non-Final OA 38d overdue Pending Aug 10, 2022
17817382 HPV VACCINE ZOU, NIANXIANG 1671 §103 Final Rejection 16d overdue Pending Aug 04, 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
17783938 USE OF BIOMARKERS IN IDENTIFYING PATIENTS THAT WILL BE RESPONSIVE TO TREATMENT WITH A PRMT5 INHIBITOR KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE 1635 §103§112Other Final Rejection 42d overdue Pending Jun 09, 2022
17762215 METHODS FOR TREATING METASTATIC TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER WITH ANTI-PD-1 ANTIBODIES STONEBRAKER, ALYSSA RAE 1642 §103Other Final Rejection Pending Mar 21, 2022
17761433 SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS OF KRAS G12C MUTANT CLARK, AMY LYNN 1628 §112 Final Rejection Pending Mar 17, 2022
17482650 Stable Formulations of Programmed Death Receptor 1 (PD-1) Antibodies and Hyaluronidase Variants and Fragments Thereof and Methods of Use Thereof BENAVIDES, JENNIFER ANN 1675 §103 Non-Final OA Pending Sep 23, 2021
17093833 OXAZOLIDINONE COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF AS ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS PATEL, SAGAR S 1626 §102§112 Final Rejection 4d overdue Pending Nov 10, 2020

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