G 0002/08 (Dosage regime/ABBOTT RESPIRATORY) vom 19.02.2010

Europäischer Rechtsprechungsidentifikator

ECLI:EP:BA:2010:G000208.20100219

Datum der Entscheidung

19. Februar 2010

Aktenzeichen

G 0002/08

Antrag auf Überprüfung von

Anmeldenummer

94306847.8

IPC-Klasse

A61K 31/445

Verfahrenssprache

Englisch

Verteilung

Im Amtsblatt des EPA veröffentlicht (A)

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Entscheidung auf Englisch

Amtsblattfassungen

Weitere Entscheidungen für diese Akte

G 0002/08 2009-06-15

Zusammenfassungen für diese Entscheidung

Bezeichnung der Anmeldung

Nicotinic acid compositions for treating hyperlipidemia

Name des Antragstellers

Abbott Respiratory LLC

Name des Einsprechenden

Kammer

Leitsatz

The questions referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are answered as follows:

Question 1: Where it is already known to use a medicament to treat an illness, Article 54(5) EPC does not exclude that this medicament be patented for use in a different treatment by therapy of the same illness.

Question 2: Such patenting is also not excluded where a dosage regime is the only feature claimed which is not comprised in the state of the art.

Question 3: Where the subject matter of a claim is rendered novel only by a new therapeutic use of a medicament, such claim may no longer have the format of a so called Swiss-type claim as instituted by decision G 5/83.

A time-limit of three months after publication of the present decision in the Official Journal of the European Patent Office is set in order that future applicants comply with this new situation.

Relevante Rechtsnormen

Court of Appeal (UK) of 21 May 2008 in re Actavis UK Limited v. Merck & Co. Inc, (2008) EWCA Civ 444European Patent Convention Art 52(4) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 53(c)European Patent Convention Art 54(4)European Patent Convention Art 54(5)European Patent Convention Art 54(5) 1973German Federal Court of Justice: BGH, 19 December 2006, XZR 236/01 "Carvedilol IITribunal of Commerce of the Canton of Zurich, decisions of 14 April 2009, AA 090075 and AA 090077Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) Art 31Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) Art 32

Schlagwörter

Admissibility of referral (yes)
Applicable law
Rules of interpretation of the EPC as an international treaty
Respective domains of prohibition under Art. 53(c) EPC and permission under Art. 54(4) and (5) EPC)
Intention of the legislator
Notional novelty concept under Art. 54(4) and (5) EPC
Meaning of any "specific use" under Art. 54(5) EPC
Technical effect of a specific use
Abolition of so called Swiss-type claims
Time limit set for applicants to comply

Orientierungssatz

Zitierte Akten

G 0005/83 G 0001/04 G 0001/07 T 0116/85 T 0019/86 T 0290/86 T 0182/90 T 0893/90 T 0820/92 T 0051/93 T 0082/93 T 0254/93 T 0138/95 T 0233/96 T 0836/01 T 1020/03 T 0406/06 T 1074/06

Zitierende Akten

G 0003/08 G 0001/09 G 0002/12 G 0002/13 G 0001/18 G 0003/19 G 0001/21 G 0002/21 R 0012/09 R 0002/12 R 0019/12 R 0002/14 T 1319/04 T 1283/05 T 0578/06 T 0795/06 T 0826/06 T 1242/06 T 1918/06 T 0047/07 T 0294/07 T 0566/07 T 1827/07 T 1760/08 T 1838/08 T 2003/08 T 0108/09 T 1046/09 T 1075/09 T 1099/09 T 1138/09 T 1570/09 T 1627/09 T 1635/09 T 1955/09 T 0773/10 T 2369/10 T 0524/11 T 0677/11 T 1021/11 T 1069/11 T 1554/11 T 1577/11 T 1673/11 T 1760/11 T 1869/11 T 0734/12 T 1184/12 T 1780/12 T 2017/12 T 2473/12 T 2506/12 T 0177/13 T 0714/13 T 0943/13 T 1819/13 T 1889/13 T 0013/14 T 0015/14 T 0799/14 T 0899/14 T 1758/15 T 1824/15 T 0664/16 T 0694/16 T 0857/16 T 1186/16 T 2440/16 T 2707/16 T 1243/17 T 1991/17 T 0779/18 T 1287/18 T 1345/18 T 1732/18 T 0339/19 T 0634/19 T 0935/19 T 0968/19 T 1868/19 T 2360/19 T 2516/19 T 2689/19 T 2805/19 T 0468/20 T 0558/20 T 1252/20 T 1047/21 T 1356/21 T 1357/21 T 1863/21 T 0160/22 T 0295/22 T 0815/22 T 1259/22 T 1390/22 T 2012/22 T 0278/23 T 0867/23 T 1874/23 T 0197/24 T 0792/24

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The questions referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are answered as follows:

Question 1:

Where it is already known to use a medicament to treat an illness, Article 54(5) EPC does not exclude that this medicament be patented for use in a different treatment by therapy of the same illness.

Question 2:

Such patenting is also not excluded where a dosage regime is the only feature claimed which is not comprised in the state of the art.

Question 3:

Where the subject matter of a claim is rendered novel only by a new therapeutic use of a medicament, such claim may no longer have the format of a so called Swiss-type claim as instituted by decision G 5/83.

A time-limit of three months after publication of the present decision in the Official Journal of the European Patent Office is set in order that future applicants comply with this new situation.