Ex Parte De La Monte et al - Page 8


                    Appeal No. 2006-0299                                                                        Page 8                        
                    Application No. 09/964,412                                                                                                

                             In our view, the evidence of record establishes that a considerable amount                                       
                    of experimentation and unpredictability was considered to be acceptable in the                                            
                    field of antisense therapy at the time of the invention.  Much of the evidence cited                                      
                    by the examiner shows that several clinical trials of antisense drugs had been                                            
                    approved or were ongoing at the time of the invention, despite a widespread                                               
                    recognition in the art that the effects of administering oligonucleotides in vivo                                         
                    were highly variable and complex, and the clinical results generally modest.  For                                         
                    example, the examiner cites Jen3 as evidence of “the challenges that remain                                               
                    before the use of antisense becomes routine in a therapeutic setting” (Answer,                                            
                    page 9), but it is notable that Jen also provides evidence of the approval of “a                                          
                    number of phase I/II trials employing oligonucleotides” (Jen, page 315), despite                                          
                    the fact that “virtually all have been characterized by a lack of toxicity but only                                       
                    modest clinical effects” (id.).  Similarly, Agrawal4 describes several Phase I, II                                        
                    and III clinical trials involving first-generation antisense oligonucleotides                                             
                    (Agrawal, Table 1), while at the same time recognizing the need for “the                                                  
                    development of second-generation oligonucleotides, [to] provide improved safety                                           
                    and efficacy” (id., page 386), i.e., to provide improved biological, pharmacokinetic                                      
                    and pharmacodynamic properties (id., page 378, Box 1).                                                                    
                             In our view, the approval of multiple clinical trials involving antisense                                        
                    oligonucleotides prior to and at the time of the invention provides evidence that                                         
                                                                                                                                              
                    3  Jen et al., “Suppression of Gene Expression by Targeted Disruption of Messenger RNA:                                   
                    Available Options and Current Strategy,” Stem Cells, Vol. 18, pp. 307-319 (2000).                                         
                    4  Agrawal, “Antisense Oligonucleotides: Towards Clinical Trials,” Tibtech, Vol. 14, pp. 376-387                          
                    (October 1996).                                                                                                           





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