UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)November 13, 2019
BioVie Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| | | |
| Nevada | 001-39015 | 46-2510769 |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| | | |
2120 Colorado Avenue, #230 Santa Monica, California | | 90404 |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | | (Zip Code) |
(310) 444-4300
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| | | |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
[_] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[_] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company □
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. □
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On November 13, 2019, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “Board”) issued a written decision in theinter partes review (“IPR”) action that was brought by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited (“Mallinckrodt”) against BioVie Inc. (“BioVie” or “Company”). In that action, Mallinckrodt sought to invalidate BioVie’s patent (U.S. Pat. No. 9,655,945, “Treatment of Ascites”) (the “’945 Patent”). In its decision, the Board determined that all claims of the ‘945 Patent were not patentable because they were either anticipated or obvious in light of prior art. The Board also denied BioVie’s Motion to Amend the claims on similar grounds. The result of the Board’s decision is that the ‘945 patent is no longer valid or enforceable. Acuitas Group Holdings, LLC was aware of this patent challenge when it purchased a majority ownership interest in the company in July 2018.
BioVie is evaluating the Board’s decision to determine if it will request a rehearing by the Board or appeal the Board’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This ruling is unrelated to the Company’s Orphan drug designations for ascites and hepatorenal syndrome (“HRS”), which remain unchanged. An Orphan drug that is first-to-market typically receives 7 years of market exclusivity in the United States for the designated use(s). In addition, the ruling does not affect the Company’s rights in its pending patent application directed to proprietary liquid formulations of terlipressin for use in its planned Phase 2b/3 trial, subject to FDA clearance, which could eventually provide up to 20 years of patent coverage in each country in which the Company seeks patent protection, such as the United States, if a patent issues on the pending application according to the patent laws of each issuing country.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Dated: November 15, 2019
| | BIOVIE INC. |
| | |
| | By: /s/ Joanne Wendy Kim Name: Joanne Wendy Kim Title: Chief Financial Officer |
