In a much anticipated decision, the Federal Circuit held yesterday that two pharmaceutical companies, Wyeth and Elan Pharma, were entitled to extended patent term adjustments because the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office failed to perform a correct calculation of the adjustment. Wyeth v. Kappos, No. 2009-1120 (Fed. Cir.). The decision has broad implications because the incorrect calculations were performed as a result of a flawed interpretation of the patent term adjustment statute, 35 U.S.C. sec. 154(b), that the USPTO was applying to all patentees.
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