Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026

Examiner: MCCORMICK, CATHERINE LYNN

Tech Center 1600 • Art Units: 1638

This examiner grants 50% of resolved cases

Analysis

Catherine Lynn McCormick is an examiner in Tech Center 1600, specifically Art Unit 1638. Based on 44 resolved cases, the examiner has an allowance rate of 50.0%. This balanced rate suggests that a significant portion of applications reach issuance, requiring practitioners to present strong technical arguments and well-defined claims. The 50.0% allowance rate indicates that success depends heavily on the specific merits of each application in Art Unit 1638.

The data shows a significant interview lift of 42.5%. This indicates that conducting an interview is an extremely effective tactic, substantially increasing the chances of allowance compared to the baseline. For applications that are successful, the median days to allowance is 1264. This 1264-day timeline is a standard duration for prosecution in this tech center. Given the 44 resolved cases, the 42.5% interview lift is the most critical insight for practitioners. While the 50.0% allowance rate presents a balanced outlook, the high lift suggests that direct engagement with the examiner is the best way to move toward a positive outcome within the 1264-day median timeframe.

Written from this page's own data; every figure is computed from USPTO records and verified before publication.

Performance Statistics

50.0%
Allow Rate
-10.0% vs TC avg
77
Total Applications
+42.5%
Interview Lift
1264
Avg Prosecution Days
Based on 44 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Rejection Statute Breakdown

3.5%
§101 Eligibility
25.0%
§102 Novelty
49.6%
§103 Obviousness
10.1%
§112 Clarity

Currently Pending Office Actions

App #TitleStatusAssignee
17926970 ONE-LOCUS INDUCIBLE PRECISION GUIDED STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE OR TEMPERATURE-INDUCIBLE PRECISION GUIDED STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE Final Rejection The Regents of the University of California
18041271 ANTI-SEED PNAS AND MICRORNA INHIBITION Final Rejection Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.
18050687 USE OF FATE MODULATORS TO IMPROVE NERVE REGENERATION Final Rejection The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System
18036862 TARGETED GENE REGULATION OF HUMAN IMMUNE CELLS WITH CRISPR-CAS SYSTEMS Non-Final OA Duke University
18300994 METHODS FOR NUCLEAR REPROGRAMMING USING SYNTHETIC TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS Non-Final OA LONZA WALKERSVILLE, INC.
17757345 AUTOMATED PRODUCTION OF VIRAL VECTORS Final Rejection LONZA SALES AG
17637789 CD24 EXPRESSING CELLS AND USES THEREOF Final Rejection Sana Biotechnology, Inc.

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