The U.S. Supreme Court has requested the views of the solicitor general on two closely watched patent cases.

The court requested the solicitor general’s recommendation on a dispute between Amgen Inc. and Sandoz Inc. over a new legal path for approving or for challenging biologic drugs. The justices also request guidance on the doctrine of patent exhaustion — known as the first-sale doctrine — including whether it applies to sales that take place outside of the United States.