Latest News & Features
Americas
Despite the current unfavourable climate, there is still reason to be optimistic about patenting diagnostic method claims in the US, particularly if the claim is focused on a particular disease, biomarker, and/or treatment and includes an active step that applies the diagnostic information, says Kevin O’Connor of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg. 21 January 2016
Americas
The US Supreme Court has ordered a re-hearing of a spinal surgery patent dispute after it granted Medtronic’s grant, vacate, and remand (GVR) petition in its row with NuVasive. 20 January 2016
Americas
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled that the same three administrative patent law judges who determine whether to institute an inter partes review can also rule on the validity of the patent at issue. 19 January 2016
Europe
The English High Court has invalidated Medac Gesellschaft’s patent covering its Metoject PEN syringe, the first patent decision handed down by the court in 2016. 18 January 2016
Africa
An individual working at India-based healthcare organisation Micro Labs has launched a mobile app which obtains relevant data on patents for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry professionals. 18 January 2016
Big Pharma
The English High Court has ruled that the US branch of pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme’s use of the ‘Merck’ trademark violated a previous agreement with its German rival. 15 January 2016
Big Pharma
A unitary supplementary protection certificate looks like a logical and desirable extension of the unitary patent system, and right owners and practitioners need to keep an eye on developments in EU regulation, as Andrew Webb and Graham Lewis of J A Kemp describe. 14 January 2016
Americas
Pharmaceutical companies have entered into fewer ‘pay-for-delay’ patent settlements since the US Supreme Court said such agreements could violate anti-competition laws, a report has claimed. 14 January 2016
Americas
Scientists from two US universities will fight out the ownership of the intellectual property rights to the CRISPR/Cas9 technology after the US Patent and Trademark Office agreed to initiate an interference proceeding. 13 January 2016
Americas
US politicians have called on the National Institute of Health to reveal when it would use its right to make companies license certain patents in order to stop drugs being priced too high. 12 January 2016