Assignment history

Inventors

• Stephen Perrett: Information regarding employer at the time of filing is not readily available in the provided text.
• Fredric Jay Cohen: Information regarding employer at the time of filing is not readily available in the provided text.
• Gopi M. Venkatesh: Information regarding employer at the time of filing is not readily available in the provided text.

There are no unusual patterns, such as mass departures of inventors, noted in the provided documentation.

Original Assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent is Ellodi Pharmaceuticals LP.

Ellodi Pharmaceuticals is a gastroenterology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company. The company was formed by TPG Capital in September 2020 through a spin-out of clinical assets from Adare Pharmaceuticals.

The company's primary focus is the clinical development of APT-1011, a novel oral disintegrating tablet for the treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). This product appears to embody the claims of US patent 12,290,598, which describes orally administered corticosteroid compositions for treating inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Ellodi is actively pursuing FDA approval for APT-1011 and has received Fast Track designation. The company is currently operating and in Phase 3 development for its lead product candidate.

Assignment Timeline

A search of the USPTO Patent Assignment Search database reveals a series of assignments recorded on the same day, reflecting a chain of name changes and corporate reorganizations rather than transfers between distinct operating entities.

• 2022-02-04 (recorded) — Reel 059633/0586

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: COHEN, FREDRIC JAY; PERRETT, STEPHEN; VENKATESH, GOPI
  • Assignee: EURAND, INC.
  • Correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX, 1100 NEW YORK AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005
  • Context: Initial assignment from the inventors to their employer.

• 2022-02-04 (recorded) — Reel 059633/0593

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: EURAND, INCORPORATED
  • Assignee: APTALIS PHARMATECH, INC.
  • Correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX, 1100 NEW YORK AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 (recurring correspondent)
  • Context: Change of name reflecting the 2011 merger of Eurand and Axcan Pharma to form Aptalis.

• 2022-02-04 (recorded) — Reel 059633/0607

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: APTALIS PHARMATECH, INC.
  • Assignee: ADARE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
  • Correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX, 1100 NEW YORK AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 (recurring correspondent)
  • Context: Change of name following the acquisition of Aptalis's pharmaceutical technologies business by TPG Capital in 2015.

• 2022-02-04 (recorded) — Reel 059633/0616

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ADARE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
  • Assignee: ADARE DEVELOPMENT, I L.P.
  • Correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX, 1100 NEW YORK AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 (recurring correspondent)
  • Context: Internal reorganization within the Adare family of companies.

• 2022-02-04 (recorded) — Reel 059633/0622

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: ADARE DEVELOPMENT I, L.P.
  • Assignee: ADARE PHARMACEUTICALS US, LP
  • Correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX, 1100 NEW YORK AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 (recurring correspondent)
  • Context: Internal reorganization/change of name.

• 2022-02-04 (recorded) — Reel 059633/0635

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: ADARE PHARMACEUTICALS US, L.P.
  • Assignee: ELLODI PHARMACEUTICALS, L.P.
  • Correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX, 1100 NEW YORK AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 (recurring correspondent)
  • Context: Change of name reflecting the 2020 spin-out of clinical assets from Adare to the newly formed Ellodi Pharmaceuticals.

Timeline Diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12290598
    2009 : Priority date
    2022 : Assigned by inventors to Eurand Inc
         : Name change to Aptalis Pharmatech
         : Name change to Adare Pharmaceuticals Inc
         : Assigned to Adare Development I LP
         : Name change to Adare Pharmaceuticals US LP
         : Name change to Ellodi Pharmaceuticals LP
    2025 : Patent issued

NPE / Troll-Pattern Signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Not present. The patent has remained within a chain of operating pharmaceutical companies focused on drug development and manufacturing. The assignees (Eurand, Aptalis, Adare, Ellodi) have all been active specialty pharmaceutical companies.

2. Known asserter in the chain: Not present. None of the assignees in the chain (Eurand, Inc., Aptalis Pharmatech, Inc., Adare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Adare Development, I L.P., Adare Pharmaceuticals US, LP, Ellodi Pharmaceuticals LP) appear on public lists of high-frequency patent asserters.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Present. All six recordings on 2022-02-04 (Reels 059633/0586 through 059633/0635) were handled by the same correspondent: STERNE KESSLER GOLDSTEIN & FOX. However, this is indicative of a single law firm managing a client's portfolio through a series of corporate name changes and reorganizations, not necessarily a signal of NPE activity. The consistency points to a single, continuous line of control rather than transfers between unrelated shell entities.

4. Cascading transfers: Present. Multiple assignments and name changes were recorded on the same day (2022-02-04). However, this cascade reflects a series of historical mergers, acquisitions, and name changes being recorded simultaneously to clean up the title record, not a rapid transfer between shell LLCs to prepare for litigation. The underlying business, focused on specialty pharmaceuticals, remained consistent throughout these changes.

5. Pre-litigation transfer: Not present. There is no record of litigation involving this patent, and the transfers recorded were to establish the current operating company's title, not to set up an entity for assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present. The transfers resulted from mergers, acquisitions, and corporate spin-outs among solvent companies.

7. Privateering: Not present. The ownership chain shows a direct line to an operating company, Ellodi Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a product based on the patented technology.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not present. The patent is held by an operating company for its own use.

Verdict

Insufficient data

The recorded assignments represent a chain of corporate name changes and reorganizations, all recorded on the same day to perfect the title in the current operating entity, Ellodi Pharmaceuticals LP. All entities in the chain are related and are operating pharmaceutical companies. There are no signals of transfer to a non-practicing entity or preparation for assertion by a patent troll. The current assignee, Ellodi, is actively developing a product that appears to embody the patent claims.

Verification link: USPTO Assignment Search for US Pat. 12,290,598