Influential Updates in U.S. Patent Law: Key Decisions and Strategic Takeaways for Pharma & Biotech 2025 [Taft IP Webinar Series]

At this webinar program, Taft Patent Litigator Roshan P. Shrestha, Ph.D. will discuss the most influential pharmaceutical patent rulings from 2025. These cases are shaping the future of patent litigation and prosecution strategy in the Hatch-Waxman and biologics landscapes. The discussion will cover how courts have addressed obviousness, enablement, claim construction, inducement, and post-expiration enforcement, as well as emerging policy trends influencing the industry.

Participants will gain practical insights into how these 2025 rulings redefine patent scope, litigation risk, and regulatory timing, and how practitioners can adapt prosecution and litigation strategies in light of emerging trends across small molecules and biologics.

Watch the full video below: 

Topics discussed during this program include:

• Purdue v. Accord – OxyContin® (oxycodone) – 2:23
  Issue: The Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari leaves standing the Federal Circuit’s obviousness ruling and its nexus framework for secondary considerations.
• Bayer Pharma v. Mylan et al. – Xarelto® (rivaroxaban) – 11:21
  Issue: The Federal Circuit found “clinically proven effective” to be a non-limiting phrase.  This may limit of the use of data from post hoc clinical success to support patentability.
• Novo Nordisk v. Mylan – Wegovy® (semaglutide) – 17:53
  Issue:  Amendments made during prosecution can trigger prosecution history estoppel, leading the court to narrowly construe the claims ultimately paving the way for Mylan’s non-infringement ruling.
• Novartis v. Torrent – Entresto® (sacubitril/valsartan) – 23:50
  Issue: A precedential opinion holding that after-arising technologies need not be described or enabled to fall within valid claim scope.
• Merck v. Aurobindo – Bridion® (sugammadex) – 34:21
  Issue: The Federal Circuit resolved ambiguity in the patent term extension statute, holding that “the patent” refers to the original patent, not reissue, thus preserving Merck’s full PTE.
• Biogen v. Genentech – Tysabri® (natalizumab) – 39:26
  Issue: The district court ruled Biogen owes over $88 million in royalties for post-expiration sales of batches manufactured during patent life, spotlighting royalty obligations after patent expiry.

1.0 CLE Credit pending for AZ, CO, FL, IN, IL, KY, OH, and MN.

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