Appeal No. 1999-1181
Application 08/480,332
Claims 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103. As evidence of
obviousness, the examiner relies upon Woodle and Kawasaki. Claims 4 and 7 also stand
rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103. As evidence of obviousness, the examiner relies upon
Woodle and Kawasaki, as applied to claims 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9, and Handley. Finally, claims
2 and 8 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103. As evidence of obviousness, the examiner
relies upon Woodle and Klibanov. We reverse all of the rejections. In addition, we raise
other issues for consideration by the examiner.
DISCUSSION
1. Woodle, Kawasaki and Handley
Woodle teaches derivatizing polyethylene glycol (PEG) to
phosphatidylethanolamine on the outside of a liposome. In so doing, the blood circulation
time of the liposome is significantly enhanced by up to tenfold or more. The liposomes
described by Woodle contain a drug to be delivered entrapped within the interior of the
liposome. The liposomes can also contain a surface-bound ligand molecule which is used
to bind specifically, with high affinity, to a ligand-binding molecule on the surface of a
specific target tissue or cell. The surface-bound ligand is attached to liposome surface
components, not to the PEG chains on the outer surface of the liposomes.
Kawasaki describes a peptide coupled to one end of polyethylene glycol (PEG).
This peptide-PEG combination is supposed to inhibit experimental metastasis formation
in mice.
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