在醫藥專利侵權訴訟中,當被告的被控侵權物落入這申請專利範圍文字所延伸的空間時,就會被認定有均等侵害。因此,均等範圍的認定與均等侵害息息相關,就讓我們藉著Abraxis Bioscience, Inc. v. Mayne Pharma Inc. (Fed. Cir. 2006)案件[1]來了解關於穩定劑的均等範圍認定與均等侵害。
圖片來源 : shutterstock、達志影像
案件背景
本案被告Mayne學名藥廠因為向食品藥物管理局 (FDA) 提出了Diprivan ® (成分為異丙酚Propofol) 的學名藥許可之簡易新藥上市程序 (ANDA) ,原告ABRAXIS生技製藥公司於是向美國紐約州南區(the Southern District of New York)的地方法院提出專利侵權訴訟,主張被告Mayne學名藥廠侵害了系爭專利的申請專利範圍,地方法院經過判決後作出被告有文義侵權與均等侵權之判決,被告不服地方法院的判決結果,所以提出上訴。
1. A sterile pharmaceutical composition for parenteral administration which comprises an oil-in-water emulsion in which propofol dissolved in a water-immiscible solvent, is emulsified with water and stabilized by means of a surfactant, and which further comprises an amount of edetate sufficient to prevent a no more than 10-fold increase in growth of each of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 for at least 24 hours as measured by a test wherein a washed suspension of each said organism is added to a separate aliquot of said composition at approximately 50 colony forming units per ml, at a temperature in the range 20.degree.-25.degree. C., whereafter said aliquots are incubated at 20.degree.-25.degree. C. and are tested for viable counts of said organism after 24 hours, said amount of edetate being no more than 0.1% by weight of said composition.
在本案件中,地方法院將穩定劑Edetate解釋為四乙酸乙二胺(EDTA,構造詳圖1.)。被告Mayne學名藥廠的產品中使用了二乙基三胺五乙酸(DTPA,構造詳圖2.),地方法院認為二乙基三胺五乙酸是四乙酸乙二胺的相關結構,而被涵蓋於文義中,因而有文義侵權。上訴時,上訴法院認為被上訴人ABRAXIS生技製藥公司僅限定穩定劑Edetate為四乙酸乙二胺,並不包含其相關結構 (二乙基三胺五乙酸) ,因此,本案無文義侵權。(關於文義侵權的相關議題,可參考第307期《降壓藥物的文義侵害Pfizer, Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals, USA, Inc. (Fed. Cir. 2005)》一文)
我國專利侵害鑑定要點中,有提及均等技術特徵之判斷方式:「判斷被控侵權對象與系爭專利之請求項的對應技術特徵是否為均等,一般係採三部測試(triple identity test or tripartite test,即為本文中的FWR測試法),若被控侵權對象對應之技術內容與系爭專利之請求項的技術特徵係以實質相同的方式(way),執行實質相同的功能 (function),而得到實質相同的結果(result)時,應判斷被控侵權對象之對應技術內容與系爭專利之請求項的技術特徵為無實質差異,二者為均等。所謂『實質相同』, 係指二者之差異為該發明所屬技術領域中具有通常知識者能輕易完成或顯而易知者。例如系爭專利之請求項的技術特徵為A、B、C,被控侵權對象之對應技術內容為A、B、D,若C與D二者不相同,應再判斷二者是否係以實質相同的方式,執行實質相同的功能,而得到實質相同的結果,若二者之方式、功能及結果皆為實質相同,則判斷C與D為無實質差異,二者為均等技術特徵。