Citing significant implications for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, as well as the broader public interest that’s at stake, the U.S. FTC filed an amicus brief in Sage Chemical Inc.’s district court challenge of Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s strategies to block generic competition of its injectable Parkinson’s drug, Apokyn (apomorphine).

As Medtronic plc. is fond of pointing out, the garage inventor has been the stuff of legend in U.S. business lore, providing a wide range of economically impactful inventions over the two-plus centuries since the U.S. patent system came into being.

Edwards Lifesciences Inc., has joined Apple Inc., and several tech companies in suing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) over PTO’s administration of the inter partes review (IPR) process in a lawsuit that reached the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court recently rejected the challenge as to whether the PTO is empowered by the statute to determine whether an IPR could be instituted, but the agency may be forced to engage in the clunky rulemaking process to formally encode the so-called Fintiv standard for acceptance of IPRs.

Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Advamedica, Brainomix, Etiometry, Graymatters Health, Inspire Medical Systems, Viz.ai.

Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Clario, Epic, Fluoguide, Guardant Health, Glaxosmithkline, Invitae, Oxford Nanopore, Pathoquest, Progentec, Strados.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Ancora Heart, Stimvia.

Med-tech firms raising money in public or private financings, including: Pathmaker.

New hires and promotions in the med-tech industry, including: Advamed, Deep 6, Dopavision, Unlearn.AI.