Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology area: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
67 pending office actions • 34 art units • 64 examiners • 0 of 67 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 75 patents granted in the last 365 days
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC is managing 6 pending office actions in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals technology area. These actions are distributed across 3 distinct examiners and an equal number of distinct art units. ERICA NICOLE JONES-FOSTER is the busiest examiner for the company, currently overseeing 4 pending office actions. This concentration under ERICA NICOLE JONES-FOSTER means that a majority of the company's 6 pending office actions are being reviewed by a single individual.
The remaining pending office actions are split between the other 3 distinct examiners. With 6 pending office actions spread across 3 distinct art units, the company has some technical diversity in its Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals filings, but the prosecution is heavily focused on the interactions with ERICA NICOLE JONES-FOSTER. This allows for a more centralized strategy for the 4 pending office actions compared to portfolios with more distinct examiners. Practitioners can leverage the concentration under ERICA NICOLE JONES-FOSTER to streamline responses across the 3 distinct art units.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 17 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. 17 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 (1%) |
| §101 + other | 1 (1%) |
| §103 only | 11 (16%) |
| §102 only | 2 (3%) |
| §112 only | 9 (13%) |
| Double-patenting only | 3 (4%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 14 (21%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 26 (39%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BALLARD, KIMBERLY | 2 | 53.7% | +49.0% |
| MARTIN, KEVIN STEPHEN | 2 | 77.2% | +23.2% |
| PRIEST, JESSICA MARIE | 2 | — | — |
| GODDARD, LAURA B | 1 | 50.9% | +13.5% |
| HEIN, DEVIN C | 1 | 46.1% | +29.5% |
| MEAH, MOHAMMAD Y | 1 | 70.8% | +42.7% |
| BRAUN, MADELINE E | 1 | 68.0% | +25.7% |
| ESSEX, LAURA ANN | 1 | 60.5% | +35.2% |
| CHICKS, ASHLI ARIANA | 1 | 60.6% | +50.3% |
| GANGLE, BRIAN J | 1 | 76.7% | +14.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17798754 | ALTERNATIVE CANNULA CONFIGURATIONS TO CONTROL FLUID DISTRIBUTION IN TISSUE | BOUCHELLE, LAURA A | 38d overdue |
| 18548640 | REDUCING HIGH MANNOSE GLYCAN PROTEIN EXPRESSION USING GUANOSINE 5'-MONOPHOSPHATE | HOLLAND, PAUL J | 19d overdue |
| 18553774 | NOVEL FORMS OF CYCLIC DINUCLEOTIDE COMPOUNDS | VANHORN, ABIGAIL LOUISE | 6d |
| 17779427 | IN VITRO CELL BASED POTENCY ASSAY | TAKENAKA, RISA | 9d |
| 17920876 | MODULAR BLENDER AND METHOD OF USING SAME | SORKIN, DAVID L | 26d |
| 18310238 | Niraparib Compositions | MOU, LIYUAN | 55d |
| 19080665 | System for Medicinal Supply Monitoring and Management for Pooled Medicinal Product Across Studies | HEIN, DEVIN C | 75d |
| 18947508 | PEPTIDE CONJUGATE VACCINE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE | ESSEX, LAURA ANN | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | — |
| 19003660 | PROCESS FOR PREPARING BETA 3 AGONISTS AND INTERMEDIATES | MEAH, MOHAMMAD Y | — |
| 18866801 | INHIBITORS OF MsbA AS ANTIBIOTICS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND USES THEREOF | BRAUN, MADELINE E | — |
| 18947508 | PEPTIDE CONJUGATE VACCINE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE | ESSEX, LAURA ANN | — |
| 18893201 | FORMULATIONS OF ANTIVIRAL COMPOUNDS | CHICKS, ASHLI ARIANA | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1628 | 3 |
| 1624 | 3 |
| 1675 | 2 |
| 1642 | 2 |
| 1626 | 2 |
| 1621 | 2 |
| 1674 | 2 |
| 3686 | 1 |
| 1657 | 1 |
| 1645 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 19003660 | PROCESS FOR PREPARING BETA 3 AGONISTS AND INTERMEDIATES | MEAH, MOHAMMAD Y | — | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 27, 2024 |
| 18866801 | INHIBITORS OF MsbA AS ANTIBIOTICS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND USES THEREOF | BRAUN, MADELINE E | — | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18947508 | PEPTIDE CONJUGATE VACCINE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE | ESSEX, LAURA ANN | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 14, 2024 |
| 18893201 | FORMULATIONS OF ANTIVIRAL COMPOUNDS | CHICKS, ASHLI ARIANA | — | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 23, 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 |
| 18805625 | INHIBITORS OF HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS AND METAPNEUMOVIRUS | PECKHAM, RICHARD GRANT | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 15, 2024 |
| 18836154 | ADENOSINE RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS AND THEIR USE THEREOF | MARTIN, KEVIN STEPHEN | — | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 06, 2024 |
| 18769900 | SCALABLE CHROMATOGRAPHY PROCESS FOR PURIFICATION OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS | CHESTNUT, BARRY A | — | §102§103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 11, 2024 |
| 18758424 | ENCLOSURE FOR MITIGATION OF LEAKAGE BY SYRINGE ASSEMBLY | STRANSKY, KATRINA MARIE | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2024 |
| 18757757 | METHODS FOR MAKING POLYSACCHARIDE-PROTEIN CONJUGATES | SHIAO, YIH-HORNG | — | §102§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 |
| 18678013 | 5,6 UNSATURATED BICYCLIC HETEROCYLES USEFUL AS INHIBITORS OF NOD-LIKE RECEPTOR PROTEIN 3 | MAHLUM, JONATHAN DAVIS | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 30, 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 |
| 18709983 | CHROMANE AMIDINE MONOBACTAM ANTIBIOTICS | HEITMEIER, KENDALL NICOLE | — | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 14, 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 |
| 18701321 | MICRONEEDLE INJECTOR AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME | VU, QUYNH-NHU HOANG | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 15, 2024 |
| 18698401 | TRICYCLIC SULFAMIDES AND SULTAMS | SZNAIDMAN, MARCOS L | 1628 | §112DP | 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 |
| 18689149 | ALLOSTERIC MODULATORS OF NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS | SHTERENGARTS, SAMANTHA L | 1623 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 05, 2024 |
| 18685357 | C-LINKED ISOQUINOLINE AMIDES AS LRRK2 INHIBITORS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND USES THEREOF | COPPINS, JANET L | 1628 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 21, 2024 |
| 18291621 | METHODS FOR TREATING ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA WITH ANTI-ILT3 ANTIBODIES | FONTAINHAS, AURORA M | — | §102§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 24, 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 |
| 18536350 | AURISTATIN LINKER-PAYLOADS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND USES THEREOF | PRIEST, JESSICA MARIE | — | §103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 12, 2023 |
| 18524612 | PREPARATION OF FUSED AZOLE DERIVATIVES AS NOVEL DIACYLGLYCERIDE 0-ACYLTRANSFERASE 2 INHIBITORS | BAUER, NICOLA MARIA | 1621 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 30, 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 18550537 | METHODS FOR TREATING CANCER WITH ANTI-ILT3 ANTIBODIES | JOHANSEN, PETER N. | 1644 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 14, 2023 |
| 18548640 | REDUCING HIGH MANNOSE GLYCAN PROTEIN EXPRESSION USING GUANOSINE 5'-MONOPHOSPHATE | HOLLAND, PAUL J | 1656 | §101§102§103 | Final Rejection | 19d overdue | Pending | Sep 01, 2023 |
| 18348787 | DENSIFIED CO-PRECIPITATED MATERIALS ISOLATED BY THIN FILM EVAPORATION | GOTFREDSON, GAREN | 1619 | §103 | Final Rejection | 5d overdue | Pending | Jul 07, 2023 |
| 18253702 | ARGINASE 1 BINDERS FOR INHIBITING ARGINASE 1 ACTIVITY | ABBAS, SYED JARAR | 1674 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 19, 2023 |
| 18252271 | FULL-LENGTH HUMAN IMMUNOGLOBULIN G ANTIBODY LIBRARIES FOR SURFACE DISPLAY AND SECRETION IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE | CURRENS, GRANT CARSON | 1684 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 09, 2023 |
| 18252217 | 3-AMINO PYRROLIDINE AND PIPERIDINE MACROCYCLIC OREXIN RECEPTOR AGONISTS | COLEMAN, BRENDA LIBBY | 1624 | §102§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 |
| 18250404 | METHODS FOR TREATING HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES WITH AMINO-PYRROLOPYRIMIDINONE COMPOUNDS | OTTON, ALICIA L | 1699 | §103 | Final Rejection | 17d overdue | Pending | Apr 25, 2023 |
| 18246408 | CORONAVIRUS REPLICONS FOR ANTIVIRAL SCREENING AND TESTING | KONOPKA, CATHERINE ANNE | 1635 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 23, 2023 |
| 18041815 | INSULIN RECEPTOR PARTIAL AGONISTS | BEANE, RANDALL L | 1654 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 16, 2023 |
| 18041825 | INSULIN RECEPTOR PARTIAL AGONISTS | CHANDRA, GYAN | 1674 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 16, 2023 |
| 18015671 | CYCLIC CYANOENONE DERIVATIVES AS MODULATORS OF KEAP1 | O DELL, DAVID K | 1621 | §112 | Final Rejection | 16d overdue | Pending | Jan 11, 2023 |
| 18015387 | ADENOSINE A2A AND A2B RECEPTOR DUAL ANTAGONISTS FOR IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY | HERNANDEZ, JACKSON J | 1627 | §103DP | Non-Final OA | 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 |
| 17920860 | METHODS OF TREATING CANCER USING A COMBINATION OF A PD-1 ANTAGONIST, A CHEMORADIATION THERAPY AND A PARP INHIBITOR | DENT, ALANA HARRIS | 1643 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 24, 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 |
| 17779427 | IN VITRO CELL BASED POTENCY ASSAY | TAKENAKA, RISA | 1632 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 9d | Pending | May 24, 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 |
| 17093833 | OXAZOLIDINONE COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF AS ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS | PATEL, SAGAR S | 1626 | §112 | Final Rejection | 4d overdue | Pending | Nov 10, 2020 |
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