Litigation
Hope Medical Enterprises, Inc. Inter Partes Review (IPR) Challenges
On October 29, 2021, Hope Medical Enterprises, Inc. (“Hope”) filed a Petition for inter partes review (IPR2022-00123) with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the USPTO to invalidate U.S. Patent No. 10,596,190 (the “‘190 Patent”), which is exclusively in-licensed from Oregon Health & Science University (“OHSU”) and relates to a method of using PEDMARK®. The ‘190 Patent was issued on March 24, 2020. On April 18, 2023, the PTAB invalidated the only claim of the‘190 Patent. The final written decision became effective June 20, 2023. The ‘190 Patent was previously listed in the United States Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (also known as the “Orange Book”). In light of PTAB’s final written decision on the invalidity of the ‘190 Patent, we requested that the FDA remove the ’190 Patent from the Orange Book. Two United States patent applications claiming priority through the ‘190 Patent remain pending at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”).
On October 29, 2021, Hope Medical Enterprises, Inc. (“Hope”) filed a Petition for inter partes review (IPR2022-00125) to invalidate our wholly owned U.S. Patent No. 10,792,363 (the “’363 Patent”), which relates to an anhydrous form of STS and its method of manufacture, which is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in the PEDMARK® product. The ‘363 Patent was issued October 6, 2020. During the ‘363 IPR, we disclaimed the patent claims directed to the anhydrous morphic form of STS and continued with claims directed to its method of manufacture. Because the remaining claims in the ‘363 patent are directed to a method of manufacture, the ‘363 patent is not eligible for listing in the Orange Book. In September 2023, the PTAB issued a Final Written Decision in favor of Fennec and upholding the amended claim.
The USPTO has now granted six additional U.S. patents that cover the PEDMARK formulation and its use, each of which have been, or are in the process of being, listed in the U.S. FDA’s “Orange Book” (U.S. Patent No. 11,291,728 (issued April 5, 2022), U.S. Patent No. 11,510,984 (issued November 29, 2022), U.S. Patent No. 11,617,793 (issued April 4, 2023), U.S. Patent No. 11,964,018 (issued April 23, 2024)). U.S. Patent No. 11,992,530 (issued May 28, 2024), and U.S. Patent No. 11,998,604 (issued June 4, 2024) Five additional United States patent applications from this family are pending at the USPTO covering various sodium thiosulfate formulations and uses. We plan to vigorously defend our intellectual property rights to PEDMARK if challenged. An invalidation of our patents covering PEDMARK could have a material adverse effect on our ability to protect our rights in PEDMARK beyond periods of marketing exclusivity for PEDMARK in the United States under Orphan Drug Designation.
CIPLA Litigation
On December 1, 2022, we received a letter dated November 30, 2022, notifying us that CIPLA Ltd. and CIPLA USA (“CIPLA”) submitted to the FDA an ANDA (ANDA No. 218028) for a generic version of PEDMARK (sodium thiosulfate solution) that contains Paragraph IV Certifications on two of our patents covering PEDMARK: the OHSU licensed‘190 Patent, expiration date January 2038; and our US 11,291,728 Patent (the “’728 Patent”), expiration date July 2039. On January 6, 2023, we received a letter dated January 5, 2023, notifying us that CIPLA submitted to the FDA a Paragraph IV Certification on our newly issued US 11,510,984 Patent (the “’984 Patent”). These patents are listed in FDA’s list of Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly referred to as the Orange Book, for PEDMARK. The certifications allege these patents are invalid or will not be infringed by the manufacture, use, or sale of CIPLA’s sodium thiosulfate solution.
Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, as amended, after receipt of a valid Paragraph IV notice, the Company may bring a patent infringement suit in a federal district court against CIPLA within 45 days from the receipt of the Notice Letter and if such a suit is commenced within the 45-day period, the Company is entitled to a 30 month stay on the FDA’s ability to give final approval to any proposed products that reference PEDMARK. In addition to the 30-month stay, because we have received Orphan Drug Exclusivity, the FDA may not approve CIPLA’s ANDA for at least 7 years from PEDMARK’s FDA approval date of September 20, 2022, which is September 20, 2029.