Nobody likes the grammar police. Patent lawyers, unfortunately, may be the exception. In Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Pfizer Inc. No. 2025-1427 (Fed. Cir. June 23, 2026), one character did a lot of damage. The difference between C2 and C1 cost Enanta the priority date of its provisional application—and led the Federal Circuit to affirm that the challenged claims were anticipated. Turns out proofreading really can be worth millions. But the case raises a more interesting question: [...]

Patent prosecutors often overlook claims directed to production methods. After all, infringement can be difficult to detect and prove when the patented method is practiced behind the closed doors of a manufacturing facility. In contrast, identifying potential infringement of composition or device claims is often more straightforward. From a pharmaceutical innovator's perspective, another drawback is that manufacturing methods generally cannot be listed in the Orange Book unless the resulting product itself is novel. As [...]

M&A activity in AI is increasingly defined by speed, asymmetry of information and the quality of intangible assets. Financial performance still matters, but I’ve noticed it is no longer sufficient on its own. Buyers are underwriting something less visible and in many cases more determinative of long-term value: the defensibility of the underlying technology. Within that shift, patent strategy has moved from a legal function to a core signal of acquisition readiness. In earlier [...]