Reckitt Benckiser LLC v. Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

239 F. Supp. 3d 822, 2017 WL 899894, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31985
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedMarch 6, 2017
DocketC.A. No. 14-1203-LPS
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 239 F. Supp. 3d 822 (Reckitt Benckiser LLC v. Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reckitt Benckiser LLC v. Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., 239 F. Supp. 3d 822, 2017 WL 899894, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31985 (D. Del. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

STARK, United States District Judge

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Reckitt Benckiser (“Reckitt”) brought this patent infringement action under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Reckitt filed suit against Defendants Aurobindo Pharma Limited and Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. (collectively, “Aurobindo”), which had submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application to market a generic version of Mucinex® DM, an extended-release tablet that contains dextromethorphan hy-drobromide and guaifenesin. (See D.I. 1 at ¶ 23) Reckitt asserts claims 1, 2, 6-12, 14, 17, 29, 30, 41, and 42 of U.S. Patent No. 6,955,821 and claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 7,838,032. (See D.I. 148 at 3 n.l) The patents claim controlled-release formulations of the drug guaifenesin, which contain both immediate-release and sustained-release portions or quantities.

The Court issued a claim construction opinion on November 3, 2016. (See D.I. [824]*824134) In light of that claim construction, the Court granted Aurobindo’s motion for leave to file a motion for summary judgment of non-infringement. (See D.I. 138) The parties briefed Aurobindo’s summary judgment motion, as well as Aurobindo’s motion, to exclude certain expert testiino-ny. The Court heard oral argument on the pending motions on February 23, 2017. A five-day bench trial is scheduled to begin on April 17,2017.

For the reasons stated below, the Court will,deny Aurobindo’s motion to exclude expert testimony and grant its motion for summary judgment of non-infringement.

II, LEGAL STANDARDS

A, Motion to Exclude

In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 597, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993), the Supreme Court explained that Federal Rule of Evidence 702 creates "a gatekeeping role for the [trial] judge” in order to “ensur[e] that an expert’s testimony both rests on a reliable foundation and is relevant to the task at hand.” Rule 702(a) requires that expert testimony “help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.” Expert testimony is admissible only if “the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data,” “the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods,” and “the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.” Fed. R. Evid. 702(b)~(d).

There are three distinct requirements for proper expert testimony: (1) the expert must be qualified;- (2) the opinion must be reliablé; and (3) the expert’s opinion must relate to the facts. See Elcock v. Kmart Corp., 233 F.3d 734, 741 (3d Cir. 2000).

B. Summary Judgment

Under Rule 56(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, “[t]he court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” The moving party bears the burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 585-86, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). An assertion that a fact cannot be—or, alternatively, is—genuinely disputed must be supported either by “citing to particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only),' admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials,” or by “showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute, or that an adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1)(A) & (B). If the moving party has carried its burden, the nonmovant must then “come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348 (internal quotation marks omitted). The Court will “draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party, and it may not make credibility determinations or weigh the evidence.” Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 150, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000).

To defeat a motion for summary judgment, the nonmoving party must “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt, as to the material facts.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348; see also Podobnik v. U.S. Postal Serv., 409 F.3d 584, 594 (3d Cir. 2005) [825]*825(stating party opposing summary judgment “must present more than just bare assertions, conclusory allegations or suspicions to show the existence of a genuine issue”) (internal quotation marks omitted). The “mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment;” a factual dispute is genuine only where “the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “If the evidence is merely colorable, or is' not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted.” Id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (internal citations omitted); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (stating entry of summary judgment is mandated “against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential 'to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial”). Thus, the “mere existence of a scintilla of evidence” in support of the nonmoving party’s position is insufficient to defeat a motion for summary judgment; there must be “evidence on which the jury could reasonably find” for the nonmoving party, Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

III. DISCUSSION
A. Aurobindo’s Motion to Exclude Testimony of Mario A. Gonzalez

Aurobindo moves to exclude the expert opinions of Mario A. Gonzalez, Ph.D., FCP, regarding infringement and invalidity, specifically with respect to (1) the structure or physical make-up of -Aurobin-do’s product and (2) the obviousness of the patents in suit, (See-D.I. 148 at 1-2)1 Auro-bindo contends that Dr. Gonzalez is not qualified to opine on drug formulation science and that his opinions are neither reliable nor fit the- issues in the case. The Court disagrees and will deny Aurobindo’s motion.

Dr. Gonzalez is qualified to offer opinions here.

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239 F. Supp. 3d 822, 2017 WL 899894, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31985, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reckitt-benckiser-llc-v-aurobindo-pharma-ltd-ded-2017.