IPR and biopharma patents: what the statistics show

The purpose of introducing inter partes review (IPR) proceedings through the America Invents Act was, at least in part, to improve the US patent system. IPR proceedings held before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) were viewed as a faster and cheaper mechanism for challenging patents than litigation in federal courts. In particular, the introduction of IPR proceedings was intended to counterbalance district court lawsuits filed by non-practising entities by giving accused infringers an expedited proceeding to challenge the asserted patents.