Defendant
1 case as defendant.
Spruce Biosciences Inc, commonly referred to as Spruce, is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies for rare endocrine and neurological disorders with significant unmet medical needs. The company was founded in 2014 by Alexis Howerton and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. Trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol "SPRB", Spruce Biosciences had a market capitalization of approximately $143 million USD as of June 2026. Employee counts vary across sources, with some indicating 8 employees and others up to 67, or 14 as of March 2026.
Spruce Biosciences is advancing a pipeline of drug candidates. Its lead product candidate, tildacerfont, is a non-steroidal therapy being developed for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a rare endocrine disease, and is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for adult and pediatric classic CAH, as well as for females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Additionally, the company is developing tralesinidase alfa (TA-ERT), an enzyme replacement therapy for Sanfilippo Syndrome Type B (Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIB or MPS IIIB), a terminal neurodegenerative genetic disorder, with a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission anticipated in Q4 2026. Spruce Biosciences also has a license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company for pharmaceutical compounds and a collaboration with Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to develop tildacerfont in Japan.
Spruce Biosciences Inc. is an operating company that has been a defendant in patent litigation. The company has been involved in one tracked case at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This single defendant appearance, with no plaintiff cases, indicates a posture of defending its intellectual property or operations against challenges.
The notable tracked case is Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. v. Spruce Biosciences Inc, where Spruce Biosciences was the patent owner challenged in a Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding at the PTAB concerning U.S. Patent Nos. 10,849,908 and 11,007,201 B2, related to the use of CRF1 receptor antagonists for treating congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Neurocrine Biosciences, a competitor, sought to invalidate claims of these patents. The PTAB had initially denied institution of a post-grant review for patent 11,007,201 B2 in September 2022, but the Director of the USPTO later granted sua sponte Director Review in July 2023.Spruce Biosciences Inc, often referred to as Spruce, is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapies for rare endocrine and neurological disorders with significant unmet medical needs. Founded in 2014 by Alexis Howerton, the company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. Spruce Biosciences trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol "SPRB" and held a market capitalization of approximately $143 million USD as of June 2026. Employee figures vary, with some sources reporting 8 employees and others indicating up to 67 or 14 as of March 2026.
The company's primary focus includes the development of tildacerfont, a non-steroidal therapy for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials for adult and pediatric classic CAH, as well as for females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Additionally, Spruce Biosciences is developing tralesinidase alfa (TA-ERT), an enzyme replacement therapy aimed at treating Sanfilippo Syndrome Type B (MPS IIIB), a severe neurodegenerative genetic disorder, with a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission projected for Q4 2026. Spruce Biosciences maintains strategic partnerships, including a license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company and a collaboration with Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for tildacerfont in Japan.
Spruce Biosciences Inc. operates as a biopharmaceutical company and has been involved in patent litigation as a defendant. The company has one tracked case where it appeared as a defendant, indicating a posture of defending its intellectual property rather than actively asserting patents. All tracked litigation has occurred at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The sole tracked case is Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. v. Spruce Biosciences Inc, a Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding at the PTAB initiated by Neurocrine Biosciences. This dispute challenged the validity of Spruce Biosciences' U.S. Patent Nos. 10,849,908 and 11,007,201 B2, which relate to the use of CRF1 receptor antagonists in treating congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The Director of the USPTO granted sua sponte Director Review in July 2023, following an initial denial of institution by the Board in September 2022, highlighting the ongoing nature of patent challenges in the biopharmaceutical sector.
This is an active Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding initiated by Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. challenging the validity of US patent 12569491 before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The petition is currently awaiting a decision on institution.