Patents for Humanity

Posted under Blog, Companies, David Kappos, development, Diagnostics, Funding, Global Development Agenda, humanitarian, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Obama Global Development Agenda, patent, Patently BIOtech, Pharmaceuticals, PTO, Public Policy, Startups, Universities, USPTO, Videos by biotechnow@bio.org (Biotechnology Industry Organization)

By David Kappos, Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Originally Published on USPTO Director’s Forum

Sweeping revolutions in technology continue to fundamentally redefine the way we connect with one another and interact with the world. Today, an entrepreneur can do business with a remote village across an ocean just as quickly as a student in Boston can video-conference with a professor in Beijing. Political rallies can be organized by the click of a button, while gripping images of that rally can be shared across continents with a cell phone.

And while an ever-shrinking and increasingly interconnected world allows technologies and information to spread in unprecedented ways, it also reminds us of the unique challenges we face as a planet. That’s why the United States Patent and Trademark Office, during a global development event today at the White House, announced the Patents for Humanity pilot program. Because while 21st century challenges are global in scope, so too are their solutions.

By building smarter irrigation systems in towns plagued by drought, by delivering cost-effective medicinal vaccines to communities without hospitals, and by engineering weather-resistant crop strains to farms ravaged by natural disasters, patented inventions have the power to create lasting solutions for some of the most serious issues confronting the world’s poorest and underserved regions. By offering strong incentives for businesses of all sizes to engage in these humanitarian efforts, Patents for Humanity encourages up to 1,000 applicants to demonstrate how their patented, or patent-pending technologies, are advancing research and results in four categories: Medical Technology, Food and Nutrition, Clean Technology, and Information Technology.

Judges selected from academia for their expertise in these fields will review applications and recommend winners, and up to 50 awardees will receive certificates for accelerated patent processing at the USPTO—a powerful tool for helping businesses validate their technology and resolve investment decisions more quickly. Not only will the faster processing help technologists move solutions to the marketplace faster; it will also demonstrate that humanitarian endeavors and smart economic growth can work hand in hand.

By harnessing the power of science and technology with research and development, Patents for Humanity plays a key role in advancing President Obama’s global development agenda. By collaborating with parts of the world in ways unimaginable just a few years ago, and by unleashing broader prosperity in emerging economies, this important new USPTO initiative demonstrates that the power to innovate is the power to lead, by design and by solution.

For additional information including how to apply, please visit Patents for Humanity.

Dutch antibody experts forge rare disease discovery pact with Shire

Posted under Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, Startups, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

The Dutch biotech arGEN-X has signed up Shire ($SHPGY) to its latest partnership on antibodies. In the deal, arGEN-X will use its antibody platform to hunt down new program candidates for Shire's rare genetic disease targets. Shire is paying out an undisclosed upfront and promised milestones to seal the discovery deal.

"Shire's depth of experience in protein-based therapies is the perfect complement to our own discovery capabilities. We are confident that our SIMPLE Antibody platform, which consistently delivers antibodies of therapeutic quality against complex targets often intractable with other technologies, will bring significant value to this alliance," says arGEN-X CEO Tim Van Hauwermeiren. "We believe this alliance represents an industry first and we are looking forward to an exciting and productive collaboration with Shire."

Just a year ago, arGEN-X struck a similar deal with Eli Lilly ($LLY).

"Monoclonal antibody therapy is an underutilized approach to the treatment of rare diseases, and this novel platform has the potential to bring multiple drug candidates into our early-stage pipeline," noted Shire R&D chief Philip J. Vickers.

- here's the press release

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C3 Jian raises $30M for dental treatment

Posted under Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, Startups, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

LA-based C3 Jian has raised $30 million to advance its lead peptide treatment into the clinic, testing its ability to re-mineralize teeth. The biotech, which is moving into a new facility, raised the cash from Wyssta Investments, Renaissance Health Services, and Corvesta. It is developing technology discovered at UCLA. Release

Abbott’s deal-team delivers $1.35B Galapagos RA pact

Posted under Abbott Labs, Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, Galapagos, JAK inhibitors, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Startups, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

Still wheeling and dealing as it lays the foundation for an independent pharma operation, Abbott ($ABT) today revealed that it is paying Belgian biotech Galapagos $150 million upfront to license in a promising oral treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. And it will pony up an additional $200 million if Galapagos can deliver positive Phase II data, along with a billion dollars in potential milestones.

The object of Abbott's affection is GLPG0634, a JAK1 inhibitor that Galapagos has been developing for RA and other autoimmune diseases. The JAK, or Janus kinases, are a group of enzymes responsible for triggering autoimmune diseases.

"We are excited to continue the Phase II trials and expect to deliver to Abbott a complete Phase II package in 2014," said Onno van de Stolpe, the CEO at Galapagos. "With GLPG0634 we have proven that we can deliver from target to clinical proof of concept, and we aim to do the same on many novel target programs in our pipeline. This collaboration is transformational for Galapagos, providing the means to progress these innovative products into the clinic."

Back in the fall of 2010, Abbott agreed to pay Reata Pharmaceuticals $450 million in near-term cash in exchange for ex-U.S. rights to the chronic kidney disease drug bardoxolone. Then late last year Abbott proffered a $400 million upfront fee to gain rights to Reata's second-gen drug portfolio. This new pact underscores that the pharma side of Abbott, which is being spun out on its own later this year, has the cash and ambition to strike big-dollar partnerships.

- here's the press release

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UPDATED: Abbott bets $400M on mega-blockbuster future for Reata program
Galapagos looks for new partner after Merck exits
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