US 12569491

Please note that this analysis is conducted as of April 26, 2026, as requested.

Summary of US Patent 12569491

Patent Number: US12569491B2
Title: Methods for treating testicular and ovarian adrenal rest tumors
Original Assignee: Spruce Biosciences Inc
Current Assignee: AVENUE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT II, L.P. (due to a reassignment on 2026-01-12, noted as a security interest)
Inventors: Alexis HOWERTON, Hal GERBER
Filing Date: 2025-01-31
Issue Date: 2026-03-10

Abstract:
The patent describes a method for treating or preventing testicular adrenal rest tumors (TART) or ovarian adrenal rest tumors (OART). This method involves administering a corticotropin-releasing factor type-1 (CRF1) antagonist or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to a subject in need.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim covers a method to treat or prevent testicular adrenal rest tumors (TART) or ovarian adrenal rest tumors (OART). The method requires giving a patient a substance that blocks the corticotropin-releasing factor type-1 (CRF1) receptor, or a pharmaceutical salt of that substance.

• Claim 11: This claim describes a pharmaceutical composition. This composition contains a specific amount (between 5 mg and 1000 mg) of a compound referred to as structural Formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of that compound, along with other standard inactive ingredients (pharmaceutically acceptable excipient). The exact chemical structure of Formula (I) is depicted in the original patent document.

• Claim 13: This claim outlines a method for treating or preventing TART or OART. This method involves administering an additional cancer-fighting agent (chemotherapeutic agent) to the patient. This additional agent can be a glucocorticoid, a mineralocorticoid, an ACAT1 inhibitor, or an anti-androgen.

• Claim 15: This claim describes a method for treating or preventing TART or OART that combines drug therapy with physical treatment. It involves administering a CRF1 antagonist of structural Formula (I) (or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt) to the patient, in conjunction with an additional treatment such as surgical removal of the tumors, radiation therapy, or a combination of both. This additional treatment can occur before, after, or at the same time as the drug administration.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, the provided patent information indicates that there is "First worldwide family litigation filed" related to this patent family, with a link to Darts-ip. However, a direct search of publicly accessible CAFC dockets for "US12569491" specifically for the year 2026 did not yield explicit results confirming a case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. It is possible that the litigation referred to is in other jurisdictions or is in earlier stages not yet reflected in CAFC dockets, or that the specific details are not readily available through general public searches.

Uncertainty:
The specific chemical structure for "Formula (I)" is integral to claims 11 and 15 but could not be reproduced in text format from the provided patent dump. Its detailed structure is assumed to be present in the original graphical representation of the patent. The current status of litigation, while noted as existing, could not be definitively traced to a specific CAFC 2026 docket via direct public search.