Wash. Research Found. v. Sanofi

302 F. Supp. 3d 1240
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedFebruary 2, 2018
DocketCivil Action No. 2:15–cv–1143–BJR
StatusPublished

This text of 302 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (Wash. Research Found. v. Sanofi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wash. Research Found. v. Sanofi, 302 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (W.D. Wash. 2018).

Opinion

BARBARA J. ROTHSTEIN, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Plaintiffs and Counterclaim Defendants Washington Research Foundation ("WRF") and Genentech, Inc. ("Genentech") allege that Defendants and Counterclaimants Sanofi and sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC (collectively "Sanofi") have infringed claim 38 of U.S. Patent No. 5,919,651 ("the '651 patent"). Sanofi moves this Court for summary judgment, arguing that pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 112(d), claim 38 *1242depends from claim 34; and, since Defendants, Plaintiffs agree, cannot be found to have infringed claim 34, they cannot be found to have infringed claim 38 as a matter of law. Plaintiff opposes the motion, arguing that claim 38 is an independent claim; and, therefore, that Defendants need not have infringed claim 34 in order for the Court to find that they have infringed claim 38. Having reviewed the parties' briefs together with all relevant materials, the Court grants summary judgment.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History

Plaintiffs initiated this lawsuit on July 17, 2015, alleging that Defendants had infringed one or more of the claims of the '651 patent in violation of 35 U.S.C. § 271. Doc. 1.1 The '651 patent, entitled "Expression of Polypeptides in Yeast," contains 38 claims relating to recombinant DNA technology for genetically engineering yeast cells to produce useful proteins ("polypeptides") that are ordinarily exogenous to, and not normally made by, yeast cells. '651 patent, Doc. 69-1, col.1 ll.19-22, col.4 ll.-20.

In January 2017, the parties completed claim construction briefing in anticipation of a March 31, 2017 Markman hearing. Docs. 50, 52-57. In February 2017, however, the parties filed a stipulation and covenant not to sue, narrowing the case to a single disputed claim. Doc. 59. Specifically, Defendants represented that their allegedly-infringing product-the protein rasburicase, which Defendants sell in the United States under the trade name Elitek-has always been manufactured outside of the United States; that the yeast strain used to manufacture rasburicase was transformed in 1991, eight years before the '651 patent issued; and that the strain of transformed yeast cells and the DNA vector used to manufacture rasburicase has never resided in the United States. Id. at 2. In reliance on Defendants' representations, Plaintiffs agreed, in relevant part, to not assert any claims or causes of action alleging that Defendants have directly or indirectly infringed any of the '651 patent's claims with the exception of claim 38. Id.2 At the parties' request, the Court vacated all previously-set dates, and issued a briefing schedule for the instant motion for summary judgment of noninfringement with respect to claim 38. Doc. 60.

B. The Asserted Claim

The '651 patent was issued on July 6, 1999. '651 patent, Doc. 69-1. The patent is directed to methods of producing useful proteins in yeast cells using recombinant DNA technology. Id. at col.1 ll.19-22, col.4 ll.-20.3 According to the patent's specification, *1243recombinant DNA technology allows for the microbial production of proteins that can be used in the preparation of vaccines, immune modulators, and antibodies for diagnostic and drug-targeting applications. Id. at col. 1 ll.41-47. Defendants' accused product, Elitek (rasburicase ), was approved by the FDA in July 2002 as a treatment to reduce uric acid in patients receiving chemotherapy. Doc. 65 at 12. According to Defendants, rasburicase is made in yeast cells that have been transformed with a DNA vector containing the rasburicase gene. Doc. 65 at 12.

Plaintiffs allege that Defendants have infringed claim 38. Claim 38 recites as follows:

A process of producing a polypeptide comprising culturing the yeast strain of claim 34, and recovering said polypeptide.

Id. at col.18 ll.24-26. Claim 34 recites as follows:

A yeast strain capable of expressing a polypeptide ordinarily exogenous to yeast produced by a process comprising transforming said yeast strain with a DNA transfer vector comprising [certain structural features].

Id. at col.17 ll.19-col. 18 ll.10.

Defendants have moved for summary judgment, arguing that pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 112(d), claim 38 is dependent upon claim 34. A party who "does not infringe an independent claim cannot infringe a claim dependent on (and thus containing all the limitations of) that claim." Wahpeton Canvas Co., Inc. v. Frontier, Inc. , 870 F.2d 1546, 1552 (Fed. Cir. 1989). There is no contention that Defendants have infringed claim 34; thus, Defendants argue, they cannot be found to have infringed claim 38 as a matter of law. Plaintiffs oppose the motion, arguing that claim 38 is an independent claim; and, therefore, that the Court does not need to find that Defendants have infringed claim 34 in order for the Court to find that Defendants have infringed claim 38.

II. LEGAL STANDARDS

A. Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is proper "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." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The moving party bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett

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Bluebook (online)
302 F. Supp. 3d 1240, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wash-research-found-v-sanofi-wawd-2018.