Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026

Examiner: SIFFORD, JEFFREY MARK

Tech Center 1600 • Art Units: 1648 1653 1671

This examiner grants 55% of resolved cases

Analysis

Jeffrey Mark Sifford is an examiner in Tech Center 1600 and Art Unit 1648. With 89 resolved cases, the examiner has an allowance rate of 55.1 percent. This 55.1 percent rate reflects a balanced examination environment, with over half of the cases reaching allowance. The data from these 89 resolved cases provides a baseline for understanding the examiner's tendencies.

The interview lift is 32.8 percent. This 32.8 percent lift suggests that interviews are a very effective way to improve the chances of an allowance. Practitioners should prioritize direct communication given this 32.8 percent increase over the base allowance rate. The impact of interviews is a significant factor in the 89 cases resolved by this examiner in Tech Center 1600.

The median days to allowance is 1223. This 1223-day duration provides a benchmark for the length of the prosecution cycle in Art Unit 1648. Practitioners can use this 1223-day median to set expectations for the duration of the examination process. The combination of the 55.1 percent allowance rate and the 1223-day median offers a clear path for strategic planning.

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

Performance Statistics

55.1%
Allow Rate
-4.9% vs TC avg
137
Total Applications
+32.8%
Interview Lift
1223
Avg Prosecution Days
Based on 89 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Rejection Statute Breakdown

7.0%
§101 Eligibility
13.8%
§102 Novelty
34.9%
§103 Obviousness
29.5%
§112 Clarity

Currently Pending Office Actions

App #TitleStatusAssignee
18569776 CORONAVIRUS GLYCOSYLATION VARIANT VACCINES Non-Final OA ModernaTX, Inc.
17911367 KIR 7.1 GENE THERAPY VECTORS AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME Final Rejection Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
18022056 ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUS COMPOSITIONS HAVING PREFERRED EXPRESSION LEVELS Non-Final OA California Institute of Technology
17296829 T Cell-Directed Anti-Cancer Vaccines Against Commensal Viruses Non-Final OA The General Hospital Corporation
17412900 Stable Reporter Flavivirus Non-Final OA Board of Regents, the University of Texas System
17772996 ARENAVIRUSES AS VECTORS Final Rejection UNIVERSITÄT BASEL
18684161 METHOD OF PRODUCING A FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE VIRUS VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLE Non-Final OA Intervet Inc.
18570077 A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING THE EFFECT OF A HERPESVIRUS-BASED VACCINE IN AN ANIMAL POPULATION Non-Final OA INTERVET INC.
18252624 RECOMBINANT VECTORS ENCODING CHIMERIC CORONAVIRUS SPIKE PROTEINS AND USE THEREOF Non-Final OA Intervet Inc.
17791981 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING VIRUS PREPARATIONS TO REDUCE HETEROGENEITY Final Rejection THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
18037128 REAL TIME PCR METHOD TO DETECT BOVINE PARVOVIRUS 3 Non-Final OA AMGEN INC.
17802443 METHOD FOR REMOVING HOST CELL DNA FROM VIRUS PREPARATION Non-Final OA Takeda Vaccines, Inc.
17416810 NOROVIRUS VACCINE FORMULATIONS AND METHODS Final Rejection TAKEDA VACCINES, INC.
18058403 ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY, SERODIAGNOSTIC AND MULTIVALENT SUBUNITS PRECISION VACCINE AGAINST SARS-CoV-2 Non-Final OA ARABIAN GULF UNIVERSITY
18000638 CHIMERIC ADENOVIRAL VECTORS Non-Final OA Vaxart, Inc.
18007823 ENHANCED PURIFICATION OF ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY REMOVE CONTAMINATING DNA Non-Final OA Sartorius BIA Separations d.o.o.

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