Juno Therapeutics v. Kite Pharma

Juno Therapeutics v. Kite Pharma

Opinion

CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL

PROCEEDINGS (in chambers): ORDER RE: DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT AS A MATTER OF LAW PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 50(B) AND/OR A NEW TRIAL PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 59 [ECF No. 659]

[Portions of the parties' briefing filed in support of and in opposition to the motion ruled upon in this Order were filed under seal. The parties are expected to file a joint report within five days of this ruling proposing redactions of any confidential material. If the parties fail to file a joint report, this Order will be publicly issued as-is.]

This matter comes before the Court on Defendant Kite Pharma, Inc.'s ("Defendant" or "Kite") Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 50(b) and/or a New Trial Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59 ("JMOL") filed on January 21, 2020. (JMOL, ECF No. 659.¹ ) Plaintiffs Juno Therapeutics, Inc. ("Juno") and Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research ("SKI") (collectively, "Plaintiffs") filed their Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law and/or a New Trial ("Opposition" or "Opp.") on February 10, 2020. (Opp., ECF Nos. 673.² ) Defendant [*2]  filed its Reply in Support of a Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 50(b) and/or a New Trial Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59 ("Reply") on February 24, 2020. (Reply, ECF No. 699.³ ) In setting the post-trial briefing schedule, the Court indicated that it would take the matter under submission following the filing of reply motions. (Order, ECF No. 639 at 5; see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 78(b).) For the following reasons, the Court DENIES Defendant's Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 50(b) and/or a New Trial Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59 [ECF No. 659].

I. BACKGROUND

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