Assignment history

Inventors

• Douglas Alan Lorenz (Bend Research, Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignments)
• Sanjay Konagurthu (Bend Research, Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignments)
• Randy J. Wald (Bend Research, Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignments)
• Jason A. Everett (Bend Research, Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignments)
• Sheila Matz (Medivation Prostate Therapeutics, Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Yuuki Takaishi (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Toshiro Sakai (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Ryousuke Irie (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Shinsuke Oba (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Hiroyasu Toyota (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Koji Nishimura (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)
• Atsushi Kanbayashi (Astellas Pharma Inc. at time of priority date based on confirmatory assignment)

It is notable that some inventors appear to be associated with Bend Research, Inc. while others are associated with Astellas Pharma Inc. and Medivation Prostate Therapeutics, Inc. at the time of the priority date, suggesting a collaborative development effort or subsequent assignment of inventorship rights.

Original assignee

Astellas Pharma Inc. and Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC are listed as the original assignees on the issued patent.

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company, and Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC is a subsidiary of Pfizer, which acquired Medivation, Inc. in 2016. Both are operating companies that develop and ship pharmaceutical products. Xtandi® (enzalutamide) is a product embodying the claims of this patent, and it is marketed by Astellas and Pfizer (through Medivation). Both companies are currently operating.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Assignment Center (https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/) was searched for patent number 11839689. The following assignment records were found:

• 2023-04-19 (executed) / recorded 2023-04-19 — Reel 063077/0681

  • Conveyance: Reassignment
  • Assignor: LLC, MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS, LLC
  • Assignee: LLC, MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS, LLC
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20001
  • Context: Change of Address (as stated in the record)

• 2023-06-28 (executed) / recorded 2023-06-28 — Reel 063428/0173

  • Conveyance: Reassignment
  • Assignor: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • Assignee: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20001 (This correspondent also appears in Reel 063077/0681 for this patent.)
  • Context: Correction of Date and Names in Coversheet (as stated in the record)

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0136

  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: LORENZ, DOUGLAS ALAN; WALD, RANDY J; EVERETT, Jason A; KONAGURTHU, SANJAY
  • Assignee: BEND RESEARCH, INC.
  • Correspondent: KOLLEGE, DARYL, LONZA, 900 CHEYNEY ROAD, GLEN MILLS, PA 19342
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from individual inventors to Bend Research, Inc. Bend Research, Inc. specializes in formulation development, including spray-dried dispersions, which are relevant to this patent.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0137

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: KONAGURTHU, SANJAY; WALD, RANDY J; LORENZ, DOUGLAS ALAN; EVERETT, Jason A
  • Assignee: BEND RESEARCH
  • Correspondent: KOLLEGE, DARYL, LONZA, 900 CHEYNEY ROAD, GLEN MILLS, PA 19342 (This correspondent also appears in Reel 064284/0136 for this patent.)
  • Context: Assignment from individual inventors to Bend Research.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0138

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: MATZ, SHEILA
  • Assignee: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20001 (This correspondent also appears in Reel 063077/0681 and 063428/0173 for this patent.)
  • Context: Assignment from individual inventor to Medivation Prostate Therapeutics, Inc.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0139

  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: BEND RESEARCH, INC.
  • Assignee: MEDIVATION LLC
  • Correspondent: KOLLEGE, DARYL, LONZA, 900 CHEYNEY ROAD, GLEN MILLS, PA 19342 (This correspondent also appears in Reel 064284/0136 and 064284/0137 for this patent.)
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from Bend Research, Inc. to Medivation LLC. Bend Research was acquired by Capsugel in 2013, which was then acquired by Lonza in 2017.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0140

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: MEDIVATION LLC
  • Assignee: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20001 (This correspondent also appears in Reel 063077/0681, 063428/0173, and 064284/0138 for this patent.)
  • Context: Assignment from Medivation LLC to Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC. Medivation was acquired by Pfizer in 2016.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0141

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: TOYOTA, Hiroyasu; IRIE, Ryousuke; OBA, SHINSUKE; KANBAYASHI, ATSUSHI; TAKAISHI, YUUKI; NISHIMURA, KOJI; SAKAI, TOSHIRO
  • Assignee: ASTELLAS PHARMA INC.
  • Correspondent: OLSON & PONS, 6303 OWEN MOUTH ROAD, WOODLAND HILLS, CA 91367
  • Context: Assignment from individual inventors to Astellas Pharma Inc.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0142

  • Conveyance: Change of Address
  • Assignor: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • Assignee: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20001 (This correspondent also appears in Reels 063077/0681, 063428/0173, 064284/0138, and 064284/0140 for this patent.)
  • Context: Change of Address (as stated in the record)

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0143

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
  • Assignee: MEDIVATION PROSTATE THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20001 (This correspondent also appears in Reels 063077/0681, 063428/0173, 064284/0138, 064284/0140, and 064284/0142 for this patent.)
  • Context: Change of Name (as stated in the record)

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0144

  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: LORENZ, DOUGLAS ALAN; WALD, RANDY J; EVERETT, Jason A; KONAGURTHU, SANJAY
  • Assignee: BEND RESEARCH INC.
  • Correspondent: KOLLEGE, DARYL, LONZA, 900 CHEYNEY ROAD, GLEN MILLS, PA 19342 (This correspondent also appears in Reels 064284/0136, 064284/0137, and 064284/0139 for this patent.)
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from individual inventors to Bend Research Inc.

• 2023-10-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-30 — Reel 064284/0145

  • Conveyance: Change of Address
  • Assignor: ASTELLAS PHARMA INC.
  • Assignee: ASTELLAS PHARMA INC.
  • Correspondent: OLSON & PONS, 6303 OWEN MOUTH ROAD, WOODLAND HILLS, CA 91367 (This correspondent also appears in Reel 064284/0141 for this patent.)
  • Context: Change of Address (as stated in the record)

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11839689
    2022 : Application filed by Astellas/Medivation
    2023 : Medivation LLC change address
         : Medivation LLC correct name
         : Inventors to Bend Research
         : Matz to Medivation Prostate Inc
         : Bend Research to Medivation LLC
         : Medivation LLC to Medivation Prostate LLC
         : Astellas inventors to Astellas
         : Medivation Prostate LLC change address
         : Medivation Prostate Inc change name
         : Inventors to Bend Research Inc
         : Astellas change address
    2023 : Patent Issued

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The transfers involve Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation LLC, and Bend Research, Inc., which are all entities associated with operating pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer/Astellas and Lonza, respectively). The assignments primarily concern clarifying ownership paths from inventors and between corporate entities following acquisitions.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. The assignees, Astellas Pharma Inc. and Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC (a Pfizer subsidiary), are operating pharmaceutical companies.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. McDermott Will & Emery LLP appears as correspondent for multiple "Medivation" entities across several assignments (Reels 063077/0681, 063428/0173, 064284/0138, 064284/0140, 064284/0142, 064284/0143). Daryl Kollege of Lonza appears as correspondent for multiple "Bend Research" assignments (Reels 064284/0136, 064284/0137, 064284/0139, 064284/0144). Olson & Pons appear for Astellas Pharma Inc. in two records (Reels 064284/0141, 064284/0145). This is consistent with in-house or regular external counsel managing intellectual property for large corporations.
4. Cascading transfers — present. There are numerous assignments and reassignments recorded on the same date (2023-10-30), clarifying the ownership path from multiple inventors and through corporate acquisitions. This includes transfers from inventors to Bend Research, from Bend Research to Medivation LLC, and from Medivation LLC to Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, as well as separate inventor assignments to Astellas. This appears to be a cleanup of the record prior to patent issuance.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. The assignments were recorded in 2023, while the identified litigation began in 2024. The patent was also granted in December 2023. These assignments occurred prior to or around the time of patent issuance and before litigation commenced.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication that Astellas, Medivation, or Bend Research (or its parent companies Capsugel/Lonza) have filed for bankruptcy and sold their patent assets.
7. Privateering — not present. The current assignees are the operating companies that directly manufacture and sell the product embodying the patent claims.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The current assignees are operating companies, not defensive aggregators.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion

The detailed assignment records reflect a series of internal corporate actions, including confirmatory assignments from inventors and transfers between corporate entities following acquisitions (Medivation by Pfizer, Bend Research by Capsugel/Lonza). The current assignees, Astellas Pharma Inc. and Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC (a Pfizer subsidiary), are operating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and sell products embodying the patent, and they are asserting the patent against alleged generic infringers.

USPTO Assignment Center search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/