Christopher Loh Image

Christopher Loh

Partner

Venable LLP

Christopher Loh is a partner in Venable, LLP’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice in New York where he practices complex patent litigation in the areas of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and chemistry. As lead or co-counsel, Chris has litigated patent cases involving oncology therapies, anti-HIV therapies, anti-hepatitis drugs, antidepressants, and statins. He has argued before numerous federal district courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and has won in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), on behalf of patent owners.

In addition to his litigation work, Chris counsels clients on transactional and patent prosecution issues concerning both small-molecule drugs and biological products, such as recombinant antibodies. He also provides advice on a range of intellectual property matters, including inventorship, trade secrets, and licensing.

Recent Articles by Christopher Loh

New Dance Moves? Purple Book Amendments Require Public Disclosure of ‘Patent Dance’ Patent Lists

Innovator (or “reference”) biologic drug makers and small-molecule drug makers face differing legal obligations with respect to public patent disclosures. Under the Hatch-Waxman Act, reference small-molecule drug makers are required to provide to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a list of the patents covering the active ingredients, compositions, formulations, and methods of treatment for their approved reference drug products, which the FDA in turn is required to publish in its “Orange Book.”  21 U.S.C. § 355(b)(1), (c)(2). The publication of such patents in the FDA Orange Book thus gives all generic drug applicants advance notice of the patents to be asserted by a reference drug maker in future Hatch-Waxman litigation.

PTAB Establishes Two-Part Framework for Denying Institution of IPRs Based on Previously Presented Art Or Argument

Earlier this year, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) established a two-part framework for applying 35 U.S.C. § 325(d), under which the PTAB may deny institution of an inter partes review (IPR) if substantially the same art or arguments previously were presented to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This framework injects a degree of rigor into the PTAB’s discretionary Section 325(d) determinations and suggests ways that IPR participants may more effectively raise or resist Section 325(d) arguments. The framework and its practical implications are discussed below.