Reason to believe
192 The "reason to believe" requirement in s 117(2)(b) of the Act is determined objectively.
193 When considering that requirement in the context of whether leave to appeal should be granted from my earlier judgment in this matter (in which I held that interim injunctive relief should be granted against the respondent: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd v Generic Health Pty Ltd (2012) 291 ALR 763), Emmett J in the Full Court (Generic Health Pty Ltd v Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd (2013) 296 ALR 50) said (at [35]):
35 The question is whether there were factual matters known to Generic Health that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the GH Products would be put to an infringing use. It is not to the point that Generic Health, through its relevant officers, did not actually have such a belief. The question is whether there was material before the primary judge that could support a finding that a reasonable person in the position of Generic Health would have reason to hold such a belief.
194 This approach is also reflected in the reasons for judgment of Greenwood J (at [221]-[230]), where his Honour considered whether there was evidence to support a prima facie case that, objectively viewed, the respondent had reason to believe that the GH products "would be put to a claim 7 infringing use".
195 In the same case, Bennett J put the matter somewhat differently. Her Honour said (at [103]):
103 The question that arises in this application is the meaning to be attributed to the phrase "reason to believe that the person would put it to that use". The reason to believe is that of the supplier and may be subjective: an actual belief, or objective: that there are reasonable grounds to believe. In each case, the belief is determined on the balance of probabilities.
196 Later, her Honour said (at [106]):
106 The proper construction of s 117(b) must be that there is a reasonable belief of a significant likelihood that a person will put a product to that use. This construction is assisted by the use of the words "reasonable belief", rather than "knowledge". A person may have a reasonable belief that an event will or would happen without having knowledge that the event will or would necessarily happen. A reasonable belief that an event would happen arises from a belief in the likelihood of that event. That likelihood must be significant. A belief that an event is of a low likelihood would amount to a reasonable belief that the event may happen. The word used by s 117(b) is that that a person would put the product to that use.
(Original emphasis.)
197 The objective determination of whether there is "reason to believe" in the context of s 117(2)(b) of the Act was earlier discussed by French J (when in this Court) in Collins v Northern Territory (2007) 161 FCR 549, where his Honour said (at [64]-[66]):
64 The words "reason to believe" in s 117(2)(b) have long standing statutory antecedents. They and similar formulae frequently condition the exercise of statutory powers and require at least, an objective basis for the relevant belief and, according to context, require actual belief: WA Pines Pty Ltd v Bannerman (1980) 41 FLR 175 at 185-186; 30 ALR 559 at 571 and authorities there cited. On the other hand the formula may be taken, according to its statutory context, to convey a requirement for an objective basis for belief without the necessity of actual belief: eg George v Rockett (1990) 170 CLR 104 at 112.
65 Where the words "reason to believe" condition a power they are used to ensure that the exercise of the power is justified by reference to objective facts and is not to be exercised simply upon unsupported belief. The same term in s 117(2)(b) defines a necessary condition of liability for contributory infringement in relation to the supply of non-staple commercial products. It could be construed as purely objective in the sense that there were factual matters known to the supplier which would lead a reasonable person to believe that the product would be put to an infringing use. An alternative construction would additionally require the supplier to actually believe that the person supplied would put the product to such a use. The analogous provision in s 271(c) of the Patents Act 1952 (US) is satisfied by actual knowledge without requiring reasonable grounds for the knowledge. Section 60(2) of the Patents Act 1977 (UK) would also be satisfied by actual knowledge without reasonable grounds. But it provides an alternative basis for liability, namely that " … it is obvious to a reasonable person in the circumstances that those means are suitable for putting, and are intended to put, the invention into effect in the United Kingdom".
66 To construe s 117(2)(b) as requiring actual knowledge supported by reasonable grounds would render the scope of liability for contributory infringement under Australian law narrower than that under United States or United Kingdom law. Unlike those jurisdictions, it would require both subjective belief and the objective basis for it to be proven. The better construction, consistent with the harmonisation purpose of the legislation, would appear to be objective. In the present case his Honour's finding as to the Northern Territory's reason to believe that ACOC would use the timber from the trees for the purpose of producing cypress oil appears to have been supported by reference to purely objective criteria. His finding in that respect is not in issue in this appeal. The preceding observations about the proper construction of the "reason to believe" requirement are therefore strictly obiter.
198 In light of the need to show that, objectively, the respondent had "reason to believe" that the GH products would be used in a way that would infringe claim 7, the applicants traversed the evidence - much of it undisputed - about the nature of schizophrenia, the course of the illness, and the manner of its treatment.
199 The applicants referred to the fact that the majority of patients suffering from schizophrenia have some degree of cognitive impairment and that chronic schizophrenia is the outcome for the majority of those who suffer from the illness. They referred to the clinical practice of switching antipsychotics in an effort to optimise the patient's response.
200 In this connection, Professor Singh gave the following evidence:
It is possible that certain patients may not respond well to a particular medication that is first prescribed or will experience unacceptable side effects, such as … movement side effects ... In fact, about a quarter of all patients suffering from Schizophrenia who are prescribed antipsychotic medication will not respond to, or will not tolerate, their medication. It is common to then try prescribing a different medication for those patients. I would therefore estimate that about 25% of all patients suffering from Schizophrenia would be switched from one atypical antipsychotic to another. The majority of patients suffering from chronic Schizophrenia will need to switch medications at some stage, and this may be because the positive symptoms have not been brought under control or, if the positive symptoms have been addressed, negative or cognitive symptoms persist. It is also not uncommon for patients to fail to respond to the second medication which they are prescribed, and for such patients to then be switched to a third medication in order to bring their symptoms under control.
(Original emphasis.)
201 Professor Singh's evidence concerning switching medication to treat the negative or cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia was the subject of debate in the evidence. I will return to that debate below. But I do not think that there was any real dispute in the evidence about the need, for many patients, to switch medication for the treatment of their schizophrenia. Some of the witnesses emphasised the risks of switching medication; others emphasised the exercise of clinical judgment in assessing the risks associated with switching medication. Notwithstanding these differences in emphasis, none of the witnesses doubted the fact that switching antipsychotic medication may well be needed to attempt to bring a patient's symptoms of schizophrenia under control. Similarly, none of the witnesses doubted the fact that switching medication in the treatment of schizophrenia will involve risks that must be evaluated as part of the responsible exercise of clinical judgment.
202 The respondent's pleaded case on common general knowledge supports the fact that, at least at the priority date, switching a patient's medication for schizophrenia, where the patient had failed to respond to two or more existing antipsychotics, was common general knowledge. In its amended particulars of invalidity filed on 4 February 2014, the respondent provided the following particulars of common general knowledge in relation to claims 1 and 7 of the 772 patent:
… (iii) switching of patients suffering from schizophrenia from treatment with one antipsychotic drug to another antipsychotic drug;
(iv) switching of patients suffering from chronic schizophrenia from treatment with one antipsychotic drug to treatment with another antipsychotic drug;
(v) switching of patients suffering from treatment-resistant schizophrenia from treatment with one antipsychotic drug to treatment with another antipsychotic drug;
(vi) switching of patients undergoing treatment with typical antipsychotic drugs to atypical antipsychotic drugs;
(vii) switching of patients undergoing treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs to other atypical antipsychotic drugs;
(viii) switching of patients undergoing treatment with antipsychotic drugs known to be effective in the treatment of schizophrenia to other antipsychotic drugs known to be effective in the treatment of schizophrenia;
(ix) switching the medication of a patient with chronic, treatment-resistant (or inveterate) schizophrenia, where that patient's symptoms and signs of schizophrenia had failed to respond to 2 or more existing antipsychotics; …
203 The applicants also pointed to the evidence that the treatment of schizophrenia comprehends the treatment of all its symptoms, whether those symptoms be positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive impairment or mood disorders.
204 In this connection, there was general agreement amongst the experts that, once a patient's positive symptoms are under control, long-term treatment (or continuation therapy) involves maintaining control of the patient's positive symptoms with a view also to countering the other symptoms of the illness. However, different views were expressed about how this might be done. These different views are illustrated by the following evidence.
205 Professor McGorry said that, in his experience, switching was commonly done to improve a patient's positive symptoms but rarely, if ever, done to improve cognitive impairment. Professor McGorry said that there is little evidence or clinical experience of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia being specifically responsive to medication independently of a response in positive symptoms. Professor McGorry's view was that the use of antipsychotics in continuation therapy is a key part of the patient's treatment to maintain response or remission from positive symptoms. He said that, if this treatment resulted in any other benefit in the effect on negative symptoms and the other domains of schizophrenia, which was not uncommonly the case, then the benefit was viewed by him as a "bonus".
206 Dr O'Dea expressed a broadly similar opinion in relation to the course of treatment. Speaking as at the priority date, he said, when treating a patient with schizophrenia in an acute hospital setting or clinic, he often used olanzapine as a first line antipsychotic medication. He considered olanzapine to be more effective than other atypical antipsychotics (other than clozapine) for such patients, where efficacy for positive symptoms is the overriding concern. He said, however, that, for patients in the community, the level of sedation associated with medication, such as olanzapine, was difficult to manage with ongoing employment, home duties and/or study commitments. He said that, in these cases, he prescribed less sedating alternatives, including risperidone. Indeed, he said that, although the focus of his treatment of patients with schizophrenia are the patient's positive symptoms, he might review the patient's medication to address negative or cognitive symptoms via reducing the level of sedation.
207 However, he also said that, at the priority date, and at the present time, a number of patients with schizophrenia that he treated had significant residual positive, negative and cognitive symptoms, and signs of severe chronic treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Frequently, he would switch these patients to clozapine which he considered to be the best clinical practice, both at the priority date and now.
208 Dr O'Dea expressed the view that most antipsychotics are equally ineffective in treating negative and cognitive symptoms. He said that when he prescribes clozapine over other antipsychotics, it is usually in the context of addressing positive symptoms that are treatment-resistant. He said:
I do not switch patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia to another antipsychotic on the basis that I consider the alternative antipsychotic medication more effective for treating cognitive impairment or negative symptoms. I may change a patient to a less sedating antipsychotic medication in order to ameliorate the potential effects of sedation on cognitive functioning, but that is a different consideration. I might also change a patient's medication because the alternative medication might have a more tolerable side effects profile.
209 In this connection, Dr O'Dea said that he would be "very reluctant to switch to treat cognitive or negative symptoms".
210 Dr O'Dea also said:
Patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia whom I switch to clozapine invariably have residual positive symptoms of schizophrenia that I am endeavouring to better treat by switching. If a patient's positive symptoms are well controlled on an atypical antipsychotic other than clozapine, my usual clinical practice is to continue with this medication rather than switch to clozapine. I then focus more on psychosocial interventions to address any ongoing cognitive or negative symptoms and signs. When I switch a patient to clozapine, I usually do so because I consider it more effective than other antipsychotics in treating positive symptoms and signs, but not necessarily negative and cognitive symptoms and signs of schizophrenia.
211 On the other hand, Professor Singh placed emphasis on the role of drug therapy to address, specifically, the patient's negative or cognitive symptoms: see, for example, the quote at [200]. He disagreed with Professor McGorry's view that switching is rarely, if ever, done to improve cognitive impairment. He said that while switching medications to improve the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia may not be done "commonly", it is a practice that was undertaken at the priority date and at the present time. He also said:
Different patients have different needs and therefore value their response to certain drugs more highly, so certain drugs may bring about a better response with certain patient types than with other patient types. For instance, some patients with chronic schizophrenia may be "high functioning" (meaning that they are engaged in occupations which require a high level of cognitive function, such as lawyers or engineers) and these patients would have different needs to other patients with chronic schizophrenia.
212 In cross-examination, Professor Singh gave the following evidence:
I teach that whenever you see a patient with a psychosis, a chronic psychosis you review the full symptom spectrum, you review the medication that they're on and … if the person has continuing negative or cognitive symptoms, you attempt to treat them. They're not a bonus.
213 Professor Singh drew attention to MATRICS. This was a major program undertaken by the NIMH which recognised, amongst other things, the importance of seeking new drug treatment to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia.
214 Professor Singh also drew a distinction between the treatment of patients in the public system (which, he said, tends to deal "with the more severe cases, the more damaged cases, people who have less capacity for rehabilitation") and the treatment of patients in the private system, thereby suggesting that, in the private system, there is more opportunity to optimise the patient's treatment to address, by medication, the adverse effects of a patient's cognitive impairment or mood disorders associated with schizophrenia.
215 Professor Singh gave evidence that, since about 2008 or 2009, he has switched medication for four patients with schizophrenia and four patients with Bipolar I Disorder for reasons to do with their need for full cognitive function in their occupations. He said that in four of the eight cases, "it has made a significant difference".
216 Associate Professor Phillips gave similar evidence concerning the role of drug therapy to address the patient's cognitive impairment and mood disorders associated with schizophrenia. He said:
If a patient presents with only cognitive symptoms and mood symptoms (that is the positive and negative symptoms are under control), modern antipsychotic agents can improve cognition. I usually prescribe Abilify [aripiprazole] or Seroquel (quetiapine) because in my experience both agents have a useful capacity to stabilise mood, and also to improve cognition … I accept that improvement in cognition may be an indirect result of reduced thought disorder and elimination of depression. However, there are many views on this in the profession and I believe that there is no conclusive answer yet, other than that at a neuroscience level, as to why Abilify and Seroquel appear to improve mood and cognition.
217 Associate Professor Phillips also said:
Although many of my patients suffer from severe illness, I have a small number of high-performing patients who are successful in their professions. The typical treatment plan for these individuals will generally involve medication combined with a talking therapy [cognitive behavioural therapy]. I recall a small number of high functioning patients who presented with cognitive problems, usually in the context of depressive symptoms, who overcame their cognition difficulties when medicated with Abilify.
218 In cross-examination, Professor Singh and Associate Professor Phillips illustrated their views with specific case examples.
219 Professor Singh gave the example of a young man who was an architect who had been sent to him for review (a second opinion). The young man had suffered an episode of schizophrenia approximately 9 months earlier and had been treated with olanzapine. The patient found olanzapine to be very sedative. He also put on weight. His then treating psychiatrist switched him to risperidone. However, even though the patient's positive symptoms were well under control, his negative symptoms and neurocognitive symptoms remained a problem for him. These symptoms were affecting his work. He was unable to complete tasks. He was in danger of losing his job. Professor Singh reviewed the patient's symptoms and switched the patient gradually from risperidone to aripiprazole. Professor Singh said that the patient made an excellent recovery using aripiprazole. His thinking was clearer. He was able to do his job better. His positive symptoms were also kept under control.
220 Associate Professor Phillips gave the example of a young medical student who, in the 1980s, commenced to develop symptoms of schizophrenia. By the time he came under Associate Professor Phillips' care, the patient was unable to continue with his university course. Associate Professor Phillips initially treated him with trifluoperazine (a typical antipsychotic). The patient's positive symptoms diminished, but he had major problems with cognition, as well as mood problems. Associate Professor Phillips described the patient as someone who "probably would have become a very good doctor, to a person who was coping marginally in the community and receiving social benefits".
221 At a later time, Associate Professor Phillips switched the patient from trifluoperazine to olanzapine. However, the patient's cognitive symptoms and mood problems did not alter. The patient experienced rapid weight gain. Sedation was also a problem. Associate Professor Phillips altered the patient's dosage of olanzapine in an endeavour to address these problems. There was no significant improvement. Associate Professor Phillips suggested the use of clozapine but, because of its significant side effects, the patient did not wish to have that treatment. Associate Professor Phillips then started the patient on quetiapine. However, even switching to quetiapine did not lead to a material improvement in what Associate Professor Phillips described as the patient's "two residual problems" - the patient's cognitive problems and mood problems.
222 Subsequently, Associate Professor Phillips introduced the patient to aripiprazole. Associate Professor Phillips said that, over a period of six months on aripiprazole, the patient demonstrated "very significant movement forward." The patient was able to undertake an educational program resulting in him obtaining a diploma in horticulture at a tertiary institution and, through Darwin University, obtaining a position as a tutor in Aboriginal communities. Associate Professor Phillips described this as "an enormous step from where he was". Associate Professor Phillips said that the patient "became a functional human being again after years and years of being immobilised by his illness."
223 The following exchange took place in the course of this account:
Professor, a situation where you have a patient with positive symptoms under control and you switch that patient to a different anti-psychotic in order simply to improve cognitive difficulties would be an extremely rare one, would it not, in your practice?---I don't think so. I mean I think it's a matter of what weight you give to cognitive and mood symptoms and I think that for many people with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like illnesses, the issues of cognition and mood become ultimately as important as the awfulness of the hallucinations and delusions that they had at an earlier time. So I would not - in my practice I would keep working to try and minimise all four domains of the illness, not just the first domain which is the positive symptoms which seems to get an awful lot of airplay.
224 Associate Professor Phillips gave evidence that, over the last five years, he would have switched an existing antipsychotic medication to aripiprazole (Abilify) in two to three cases each year, in order to treat the patient's "cognitive difficulties".
225 Professor Singh's case example and Associate Professor Phillips' case example relate to the use of aripiprazole as third line treatment and fourth line treatment, respectively, directed to the alleviation of the patient's cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia in its chronic phase, where the patient failed to respond to two of the medications referred to in claim 7 of the 772 patent.
226 In light of Professor Singh's evidence and Associate Professor Phillips' evidence, the respondent submitted that the "cross-section of the patient universe", likely to be treated in the way claimed in claim 7, is "tiny" or "extremely small". Further, based on Professor McGorry's evidence and Dr O'Dea's evidence, the respondent submitted that practitioners might not switch, but pursue "non-pharmaceutical" treatment for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
227 In this connection, the respondent contrasted the size of the patient groups with whom Professor McGorry is involved with the patient groups with whom Professor Singh and Associate Professor Phillips are involved. As noted above, Professor McGorry is the Executive Director of Orygen. He said that the clinical program at Orygen treats 200 first episode patients every year. This program obviously involves a number of clinicians apart from Professor McGorry. Professor McGorry said that he knows "what the general trends are amongst [his] colleagues." Professor Singh gave evidence that, since about 2008/2009, he had seen about 100 patients suffering from schizophrenia. At the time of giving evidence, Associate Professor Phillips said that he had 106 patients in active treatment, two thirds of whom "would predominantly have a mood disturbance or mood disorder". Of this group, Associate Professor Phillips said that about 30 of those patients have a psychotic disorder, "most of them schizophrenia". The evident purpose of comparing the respective sizes of patient groups was to downplay the significance of Professor Singh's and Associate Professor Phillips' evidence in terms of the likely numbers of patients to whom aripiprazole might be administered in accordance with the method of treatment claimed in claim 7 of the 772 patent.
228 More generally, the respondent pointed to the RANZCP guidelines, which recommends the early introduction of clozapine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia where, despite sequential use of recommended doses of two or more antipsychotic medications, there has not been a full remission of the patient's positive symptoms or there has been a lack of satisfactory clinical improvement. The guidelines also include aripiprazole as an oral atypical medication that should be prescribed as first line and second line treatment in first episode psychosis.
229 Whilst the RANZCP guidelines certainly concern the switching of medication in the treatment of schizophrenia and the choices to be made in that regard, they are not directed, specifically, to the treatment of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, although, as I explain below, the treatment of cognitive impairment is discussed.
230 I should also record that the "guidelines" are, of course, no more than that. This is not to diminish their significance. But Dr O'Dea, for example, gave evidence that, although clozapine is the main antipsychotic medication used to treat treatment-resistant schizophrenia, he has prescribed other antipsychotics for that purpose. This is because the patient might not have complied with the clozapine treatment regime, or the patient might have had physical conditions (such as heart and blood problems) that may have rendered him or her unsuitable for treatment with clozapine.
231 The respondent pointed to references in the RANZCP guidelines concerning the use of cognitive interventions in the treatment of schizophrenia. Reference is made, for example, to the use of cognitive remediation (also called cognitive rehabilitation) which aims to address cognitive impairments, such as distractibility, memory problems, lack of vigilance, attentional deficits, and limitations in planning and decision-making. In this connection, the guidelines state:
Since these deficits correlate more closely with functioning than do symptom levels, addressing them may enable the patients to be able to engage in and benefit from other interventions, and consequently function better in social and other domains. So far results in controlled trials of cognitive remediation have been equivocal.
232 However, whilst discussing the role of non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment of schizophrenia, and whilst emphasising that, as at the date of their acceptance for publication (26 August 2004), it is now accepted that the treatment of schizophrenia cannot be a one-dimensional "biological" approach, the RANZCP guidelines nevertheless make clear that pharmacological treatments are the "cornerstone" or "mainstay" treatments for both acute and maintenance therapy for schizophrenia.
233 In support of its submission that the patient group who might be switched to aripiprazole to treat cognitive impairment is "tiny" or "extremely small", the respondent pointed to the product information for Abilify. I have briefly referred to this information when dealing with the respondent's submissions on construction: see [147]. The product information refers to the suitability of Abilify for treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The product information also states that no trials of Abilify have been conducted in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The product information refers to the fact that Abilify, like other antipsychotics, may have the potential to impair judgment, thinking, or motor skills. The product information says that patients should be cautioned about operating hazardous machinery, including automobiles, until reasonably certain that therapy with Abilify does not affect them adversely. I should, however, note here that there is evidence that aripiprazole (in the form of Abilify) is considered to be less sedating than other atypical antipsychotics. I shall return to discuss that evidence. Nevertheless, the respondent submitted that the applicants have not put forward evidence showing the efficacy of aripiprazole in the treatment of the claim disorders.
234 The respondent also called in aid the information about aripiprazole published by National Prescribing Services Limited in RADAR (Rational Assessment of Drugs and Research). This publication provides health professionals with information on, amongst other things, new drugs and listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This review states that there is presently no evidence to suggest that aripiprazole is more effective than other antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia, although "it offers prescribers another treatment option for this illness." It also states that aripiprazole's efficacy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia has not been established and that, for these patients, clozapine is generally considered to be the drug of choice. The respondent's reference to this publication was, presumably, to suggest that there is no particular reason to believe that aripiprazole would be prescribed for the claim disorders as opposed to being prescribed for the other symptoms or signs of schizophrenia.
235 The respondent also relied on the CATIE trial (Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness) for the same purpose. This trial was conducted to compare the neurocognitive effects of several atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone) and a typical antipsychotic (perphenazine) in patients with chronic schizophrenia. The researchers' hypothesis was that neurocognitive response would be significantly different between these treatments.
236 The researchers found that after two months of antipsychotic treatment, all patient groups had a small but significant improvement in neurocognition. There were no differences between any pair of agents, including the typical antipsychotic, perphenazine. Associate Professor Norman said that this result suggests that the small cognitive enhancement that was observed was most likely a "class effect" of all antipsychotic drugs, unrelated to the 5-HT1A receptors.
237 Although aripiprazole is not among the drugs tested in CATIE, Professor McGorry gave evidence that, on the literature he had reviewed for the purpose of this proceeding, there appeared to be no advantage in using aripiprazole over other atypical antipsychotics in treating cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, Professor McGorry concluded that "there may be the capacity for improvement in neurocognition with Aripiprazole", although this would not "compel [him] to switch a chronic or treatment resistant schizophrenic patient suffering from cognitive impairment to Aripiprazole, to treat that cognitive impairment". This is because, according to Professor McGorry, the patient would, more likely than not, already be using an atypical antipsychotic and the "modest effects on neurocognition represented in the [papers he reviewed] provide no clinical support for such a switch."
238 There is, however, a considerable body of evidence that, compared to some atypical antipsychotics, aripiprazole is less sedating.
239 In this connection, Professor McGorry said that he would consider prescribing Abilify because it is less sedating than olanzapine and quetiapine, and because it has low anticholinergic properties, meaning that the drug would not impair the patient's cognition as much as more anticholinergic agents. He said, however, that these are the only reasons he would consider prescribing Abilify. Indeed, Professor McGorry said that, from his experience, Abilify was not commonly used to treat acute episodes of schizophrenia because "it is not especially sedative". He gave this evidence:
In my experience, compared to certain other SGAs, [Abilify] has a lower impact on weight gain and it is less sedating. These characteristics provide an advantage when treatment is initiated in more stable outpatients either for the first time or through switching, because avoiding sedation is a major advantage here and the lesser impact on weight gain in most patients is desirable.
240 Professor McGorry was asked in cross-examination about switching a patient from quetiapine to aripiprazole (Abilify). The following exchange took place:
Is that because it would have the consequence that the sedating effect of quetiapine to some extent impairs the aspects of cognition that we spoke about before?---It could be - or just, even just functioning. I mean, some of these drugs like quetiapine might be useful in the acute phases. You can imagine, with a person very agitated and you might want - the situation might change, then, when they're out of hospital, or they're back at - they're trying to study or work, and you might want a change of drug, just so the person functions better. And obviously if people are sedated, their cognitive performance is going to be impaired in a general sort of way.
So their judgment would be impaired?---Possibly. More things like attention and concentration I would have thought.
241 I have already referred to Dr O'Dea's evidence that he might review a patient's medication to address negative or cognitive symptoms via reducing the level of the patient's sedation: see [208].
242 The applicants submitted that Professor McGorry's evidence and Dr O'Dea's evidence that they would not switch a patient's medication to treat cognitive impairment in schizophrenia should be evaluated in the context that each would consider switching in an appropriate case to lessen the effects of sedation, and thereby improve the patient's cognitive symptoms. The applicants submitted that this supports a finding that Professor McGorry and Dr O'Dea do, and will in future, prescribe aripiprazole for the purposes of improving cognitive impairment in schizophrenic patients.
243 I do not think that Professor McGorry's evidence or Dr O'Dea's evidence should be treated in this way. However, I do accept that their evidence, in this regard, shows that, in certain cases arising in practice, it may be appropriate to switch the patient's medication to a less sedating alternative. I also accept that aripiprazole is such an alternative. Further, I accept that, from the clinician's point of view, the use of a less sedating antipsychotic may assist in improving a patient's cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.
244 Notwithstanding the differences in treatment strategies reflected in Professor McGorry's and Dr O'Dea's evidence, on the one hand, and Professor Singh's and Associate Professor Phillips' evidence, on the other, I am satisfied that, at least for some clinicians, switching (including, importantly, switching to aripiprazole even as third line or later line treatment) is, and would be, a realistic and legitimate option to treat the patient's cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia, where those problems persist, even though the patient's positive symptoms are otherwise satisfactorily under control using other antipsychotic medication(s). I accept the applicants' submission that there is nothing in the evidence to suggest that Professor Singh's and Associate Professor Phillips' practices in this regard, are idiosyncratic. I accept that the evidence of their practice in switching medications to treat cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia can be taken as representative of the practice of a not insignificant number of other clinicians in Australia. Moreover, I am satisfied that such treatment would extend, realistically, to the method of treatment claimed in claim 7, even though, in practice, such treatment might only be required for a relatively small proportion of patients being treated for schizophrenia. Professor Singh and Associate Professor Phillips were able to point to real world examples of such treatment. Plainly, in each case, the method of treatment, if carried out using aripiprazole in the form of the GH products, would fall within the scope of the respondent's registrations for those products.
245 Equally, I take the evidence of Professor McGorry and Dr O'Dea in relation to their treatment strategies in this regard as representative of the practice of a not insignificant number of other clinicians in Australia. However, it does not follow from Professor McGorry's evidence and Dr O'Dea's evidence that, on an objective assessment, the respondent would not have reason to believe that the GH products would be used in the method of treatment claimed in claim 7.
246 Once it is accepted that a not insignificant number of clinicians in Australia would use the GH products as a realistic and legitimate option to treat a patient's cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia, including for the method of treatment claimed in claim 7, it is really beside the point that other clinicians might adopt different treatment strategies in like cases. Indeed, it does not even matter that the treatment regimens of other clinicians represents a "majority view" - although I make no specific finding that Professor McGorry's evidence and Dr O'Dea's evidence, in this particular regard, represents such a view. The evidence only allows me to confidently conclude that, amongst clinicians, there are two broad views regarding the switching of antipsychotic medication to treat cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia - the view represented by Professor McGorry and Dr O'Dea and the view represented by Professor Singh and Associate Professor Phillips.
247 Having considered all the evidence, I am satisfied that the applicants have discharged the onus of establishing that the respondent has reason to believe that, if supplied in Australia, the GH products would be put to a use that would infringe claim 7 of the 772 patent. That is enough to establish infringement under s 117(1) of the Act. Infringement under that provision cannot be avoided by establishing that the product will also be put to non-infringing uses, although this may influence, for example, the scope of injunctive relief that might be granted: AstraZeneca 226 FCR 324 at [444]. I am satisfied, therefore, that the case on infringement of claim 7 would have been established, had the claim been valid.
248 Finally, I should refer again to the respondent's proffered undertaking not to advertise or promote the GH products for the method claimed in claim 7. The respondent submitted that such an undertaking has a role to play in determining whether, in the face of such a restriction on its exploitation of the GH products, it could be said that it would have reason to believe that the products would be put to a use that would infringe claim 7.
249 I accept that such an undertaking is relevant to my consideration of this question. However, it does not alter the conclusion to which I have come. The respondent has not sought to limit the regulatory approvals it has for the GH products. The GH products can be used for the method of treatment claimed in claim 7 of the 772 patent. In that context, I do not accept that the prescribing practices of clinicians, represented by Professor Singh and Associate Professor Phillips, would be changed or modified simply because the GH products are not specifically advertised or promoted for the method of treatment claimed in claim 7.