Sterne Kessler Secures Denial of PGR for Largest Cancer Center in the US

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox successfully secured denial of a post-grant review petition at the US Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) on behalf of the patent owner Board of Regents, The University of Texas System. Investigators at the System’s MD Anderson Cancer Center, a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas, that is the largest cancer center in the U.S., developed the technology. The challenged patent, U.S. Patent No. 11,395,838, describes methods and compositions for treating cancer by modulating the microbiome (e.g., gut bacteria) to enhance the ability of a patient’s immune system to attack the cancer. Read the institution denial decision here.

The Sterne Kessler team representing MD Anderson Cancer Center included: Directors Eldora L. Ellison, Ph. D., Jeremiah B. Frueauf, Olga A. Partington, Ph.D., with support from Legal Trainee Anja Fux, Ph.D. and Technical Specialist Sara M. Keeble, Ph.D. The case is PGR2023-00026, Microbiotica, Ltd. v. Board of Regents, The University of Texas System.