Opinion ID: 4445789
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: “Degrades”

Text: Claims 1–5, 9–19, and 22–24 of the ’613 patent, and claims 10–11 and 19 of the ’591 patent, recite a topical formulation that “degrades [by/at] 5 less than 1% over 6 months” (the “degrades” term). 6 ’613 patent col. 27 l. 7–col. 28 l. 55; ’591 patent col. 27 l. 6–col. 28 l. 21. The district court found this term indefinite because the specification did not identify the means of degradation. We agree. The district court’s finding that the claims reciting the “degrades” term are indefinite follows from the indefiniteness determination about “impurity A.” This is so because Horizon’s proposed construction for the “degrades” term was “[l]ess than 1% of Impurity A (USP Diclofenac Related Compound A RS) present in a formulation sample after the sample was maintained at 25°C and 60% humidity for 6 months.” J.A. 12, 883. Since “impurity A” is indefinite, it logically follows that another term, such as the “degrades” term, which relies on “impurity A” for its construction, must also be indefinite. Based on the district court’s indefiniteness determination about “impurity A,” which we affirm, we conclude that its finding about the “degrades” term should also be affirmed.