Today, the PTAB instituted IPR proceedings on claims 1-5 of U.S. Patent No. 8,889,135, drawn to a method of treating a rheumatoid arthritis patient with a TNFα-inhibitor. Humira®, marketed by Abbvie, is allegedly covered by the claims of the ’135 patent. The IPR petition was filed by Coherus Biosciences, Inc….
On April 1, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published new rules for AIA proceedings before the Patent Trial & Appeal Board, including inter partes reviews (IPRs). IPRs are becoming an important tool for biosimilar manufacturers to challenge patents on biologic drugs (for example, see here, here, and here). Some of the most…