Ex Parte Shah et alDownload PDFPatent Trial and Appeal BoardMar 8, 201710671138 (P.T.A.B. Mar. 8, 2017) Copy Citation United States Patent and Trademark Office UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O.Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 10/671,138 09/23/2003 Indukumar G. Shah MCP-5013 7577 27777 7590 03/10/2017 JOSEPH F. SHIRTZ JOHNSON & JOHNSON ONE JOHNSON & JOHNSON PLAZA NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08933-7003 EXAMINER QAZI, SABIHA NAIM ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 1621 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 03/10/2017 ELECTRONIC Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the following e-mail address(es): j nju spatent @ corn s .j nj. com lhowd@its.jnj.com pair_jnj @ firsttofile.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte INDUKUMAR G. SHAH, CHRISTOPHER E. SZYMCZAK, ANTHONY A. OSEI, and KARL J. PRUSS1 Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 Technology Center 1600 Before ULRIKE W. JENKS, JOHN G. NEW, and JOHN E. SCHNEIDER, Administrative Patent Judges. SCHNEIDER, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL This is an appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134 involving claims to a pharmaceutical composition comprising caffeine and a cephalagic, which have been rejected as obvious. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We affirm. STATEMENT OF THE CASE The Specification describes a solid pharmaceutical composition comprising caffeine and a cephalagic such as an analgesic or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Spec. 1. The caffeine is uncoated and has a particle 1 Appellants identify the Real Party-in-Interest as McNeil-PPC, Inc. Br. 2. Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 size of from 70 to 600 microns. Id. The resulting composition provides for fast dissolution of the caffeine. Id. Claims 1—6 and 14—17 are on appeal. Claim 1 is illustrative and reads as follows: 1. A solid pharmaceutical dosage form comprising about 5 mg to about 400 mg caffeine, a disintegrant selected from the group consisting of sodium starch glycolate, crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, and mixtures thereof, and a cephalagic, wherein said caffeine is in the form of uncoated ungranulated particles having a granular morphology and an average particle size of about 70 to 600 microns, and wherein at least 86% of said caffeine dissolves within 5 minutes, when measured by USP, Type II Apparatus (Paddles) set at 50 rpm. Claims 1—6 and 14—17 have been rejected under35 U.S.C. 103(a) as unpatentable over Tencza2 in view of Schroeder3 and Remington4. DISCUSSION Issue The issue with respect to this rejection is whether the evidence of record supports the Examiner’s conclusion that the claims would have been obvious over Tencza combined with Schroeder and Remington. The Examiner finds that Tencza teaches a solid composition comprising caffeine, ibuprofen, acetaminophen and disintegrants. Final Act. 4. The Examiner finds that Tencza teaches using caffeine in amounts of from 30 mg to 130mg. Id. The examiner finds that Tencza teaches caffeine having a particle size of from 20 to 100 mesh which is equivalent to 841 to 2 Tencza et al., CA 1,336,687, issued Aug. 15, 1995 (“Tencza”). 3 Schroeder et al., US 6,602,520 Bl, issued Aug. 5, 2003 (“Schroeder”). 4 Remington’s Pharmaceutical Sci. 18th ed. 1637 (1990) (“Remington”). 2 Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 159 microns. Final Act 5. The Examiner finds that the caffeine granules in Tencza may be uncoated and Tencza teaches that 80% of the active ingredients in the tablets dissolve within 5 minutes. Final Act. 6. The Examiner acknowledges that Tencza does not teach the specific disintegrants sodium starch glycolate and cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose or mixtures thereof. Final Act. 7. The Examiner relies on Schroederand Remington for this teaching. The Examiner finds that Schroeder teaches the use of carboxymethylcellulose as a disintegrant and that Remington teaches the use of sodium starch glycolate as a disintegrant. Final Act. 6. The Examiner finds that Schroeder teaches “rapidly disintegrating preparations containing at least one active pharmaceutical ingredient and at least one excipient” and that it specifically teaches ibuprofen, caffeine and [a] disintegrating agents cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose.” Id. The Examiner concludes that [i]t would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to prepare additional beneficial solid pharmaceutical compositionshaving good dissolution rate containing active and useful drugs such as acetaminophen (elected) in combination with caffeine and a disintegrant because amount of caffeine and particle size overlaps with the prior art. Regarding the limitation of 86% and 95% dissolution in less than 5 minutes in present claim 1, Tencza et al. teach 80% of the caffeine in their caffeine composition tablet dissolves within 5 minutes using aUSP paddle apparatus, known as Apparatus 2, rotated at 50 rpm (figure 1 and pages 20-21). Since the dissolution rate depends upon the particle size, and amounts of caffeine along with amounts of disintegrant, the drug and various other factors, it would have been obvious to one skilled art to adjust the rate as needed. 3 Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 Applicants specification does not show any example of claimed invention where amount of acetaminophen. Final Act. 7. Appellants contend that Tencza teaches a composition where the caffeine particles are granulated as opposed to the present invention where the caffeine particle are not granulated. Br. 5—6. Appellants argue that the combined references do not teach a solid pharmaceutical product where the caffeine is ungranulated and uncoated. Id. Appellants argue that the composition resulting from the combined references would not exhibit a dissolution rate of at least 86% of the caffeine within 5 minutes. Br. 6. Findings of Fact We adopt as our own the Examiner’s findings and analysis. The following findings are included for emphasis and reference convenience. FF1. Tencza discloses solid pharmaceutical compositions comprising ibuprofen, acetaminophen and caffeine. Tencza Abstract. FF2. Tencza discloses a formulation comprising 100 mg ibuprofen, 250 mg acetaminophen, 65 mg caffeine and micro crystalline cellulose wherein the caffeine is uncoated and can be a powder or granular with a particle size of from 20 mesh to 100 mesh. Tencza 23. FF3. Tencza teaches that the caffeine dissolution rate for the above formulation is 80% within 5 minutes. Tencza 6A, Figure 2. FF4. Schroeder teaches the preparation of rapidly disintegrating pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one active ingredient. S chro eder Ab strac t. 4 Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 FF5. The active ingredients in Schroeder include analgesics such as ibuprofen and caffeine. Schroeder col. 3,11. 25—30 and col.4,1. 1. FF6. Schroeder teaches the use of “so-called superdisintegrants” including crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose. Schroeder col. 5,11. 3—13. FF7. Remington teaches that sodium starch glycolate is a “super disintegrant” for use in pharmaceutical compositions. Remington 1637. Principles of Law “The test of obviousness vel non is statutory. It requires that one compare the claim’s ‘subject matter as a whole’ with the prior art ‘to which said subject matter pertains.’” In re Ochiai, 71 F.3d 1565, 1569 (Fed. Cir. 1995) (quoting 35 U.S.C. § 103). “[Wjhere the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In reAller, 220 F.2d 454, 456 (CCPA 1955). Analysis Claim 1 is representative or the rejected claims and is directed to a solid pharmaceutical composition comprising caffeine, a cephalagic and a disintegrant. We agree with the Examiner that the subject matter of claim 1 would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was made. Tencza discloses a solid pharmaceutical comprising ibuprofen, acetaminophen and caffeine. FF1. The amounts and particle sizes of caffeine taught in Tencza overlap with the amounts and sizes recited in claim 1. FF2. The caffeine in Tencza is uncoated and is in either powder or granular form. FF2. The dissolution rate for the caffeine used in Tencza is 5 Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 86% within 5 minutes. FF3. Schroederand Remington teach the use of “super disintegrants” which include crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose and sodium starch glycolate. FF6 and 7. We agree with the Examiner that one skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings of the references to improve the dissolution of caffeine. Ans. 11. Appellants argue that the references do not teach achieving the recited dissolution rate. Br. 6. We are unpersuaded. As the Examiner points out, adjusting the dissolution rate would have been a matter of routine optimization. Final Act. 7. Appellants also argue that the references do not teach ungranulated uncoated caffeine. We remain unpersuaded. Tencza specifically teaches using caffeine in an ungranulated form (powder or granular) and which is uncoated. FF2. Turning to the Declaration of Mr. Szymczak5, the declaration is unpersuasive as it only addresses the issue of granulated versus granular particles. As discussed above, Tencza discloses granular caffeine particles, i.e. particles that are not formed through compression or wetting, that meet the claimed size limitations. Tencza recognizes the difference “between a granulation form and a granular form of an ingredient that is to be compressed into a tablet.” Tencza 7, see also 6A (“IBU, APAP and caffeine were used in the form of powders or granules as distinguished from a granulation form”). The declaration does not persuade us that Tencza’s granular form of caffeine is not meet the claimed “uncoated ungranualted 5 Declaration under 37 C.F.R. § 1.132, filed May 13, 2015 (“Decl.”). 6 Appeal 2016-004774 Application 10/671,138 particles” as claimed. Because the declaration does not present evidence of unexpected results, we agree with the Examiner that declaration is insufficient to overcome the prima facie case of obviousness presented. See Ans. 11. Conclusion of Law We conclude that the evidence of record supports the Examiner’s conclusion that claim 1 would have been obvious over Tencza combined with Schroederand Remington under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a). Claims 2-6 and 14—17 have not been argued separately and therefore fall with claim 1. 37 C.F.R. § 41.37(c)(l)(iv). SUMMARY We affirm the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a). TIME PERIOD FOR RESPONSE No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a). AFFIRMED 7 Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation