Disinformation from Press Releases?
Peter Steele
Current Patents LtdLondon W1T 4LB
www.current-patents .com
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Background
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
10,000 pharma/biotech press releases analysedeach year for Investigational Drugs database (IDdb)
10% with IP implications - four per day
Analysis for technical intelligence by skilled analysts
Grey Literature
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Formal
JournalsPatentsTechnical ReportsMeetings
Grey
AdvertisementsNewspapersBrochuresBroadcastsAnalysts’ BriefingsAnnual ReportsPress releases
Grey Literature
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Formal
Journals(Patents) Technical ReportsMeetings
GreyPatentsAdvertisementsNewspapersBrochuresBroadcastsAnalysts’ BriefingsAnnual ReportsPress releases
Intelligence = Effort
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Press Releases DOLPHIN(Database of All Pharmaceutical Inventions)
One analyst – 3 to 4 days/week
Sources - general (1)
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
•PR Newswire•Business Newswire•Canada Newswire
Medical, Hospital and Biotech sections
•Direct email from companies
Sources - general (2)
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
•CAS Chemical industry newswww.cas.org/reuters/chemnews.html
•Daily industry news, individually profiledwww.office.com
Sources - general (3)
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
•Pharmaceutical News & Informationwww.coreynahman.com
•Pharmalicensingwww.pharmalicensing.com
•Hoover’s Onlinewww.hoovershbn.hoovers.com
•Bioresearch Onlinewww.news.bioresearchonline.com
Sources - Patent
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
•USPTO Official Gazettewww.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/og
•UK Official Journalwww.patent.gov.uk/patent/notices
•Australian PO Decisionswww.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/APO
•UK Court Judgementswww.wood.ccta.gov.uk/courtser/judgements.nsf
Country of Origin
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
US 235UK 17Canada 16Germany 8Switzerland 7Others (NL,FR,IL,JP
DK,SE,AT) 17
State of Origin
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
CA 97NJ 30MA 28WA 14PA 10NY 9MD 8Others (16) 40
Multinationals’ PRs
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Issuing Party – 30/300 (10%)
Second Party – 68/300 (23%)
Non-Government – 68/200 (34%)
Three or more PRs issued
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Abgenix,AntexAriadArquleCoulterGenzyme
IncyteMaxygenMyriadSciCloneViragenVivusXTL
Partnerships in Press Releases
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
First (issuing) party with Second Party etc
67% Company with Company/Institution
33% Company with Government Agency22% USPTO11% FDA
Technology Types
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
65% Fundamental (“platform”)
35% Product Oriented (69)Preclinical (21)Phase I (16)Phase II (12)Phase III (6)Marketed (14)
Details to Cite
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Patent Number - get it right!!!
Inventor Names
Date and country of origin
Identity of Originator – other interests?
Name of Product/Technology
Case Study (1): Immutech
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
“…….announced today it had been issued US Patent No 6172104B1entitled “Dicationic dibenzofuran……..” March 26,2001
Actually issued January 9, 2001Assignee is University of North CarolinaUS Government (NIH) retains interestOriginates from joint program with Georgia, Duke &Auburn universities
Case Study (2): “Interleukin Genetics…
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
….announced today that it was awarded Patent No 6210877 for the discovery that certain IL-1 gene variations…receiveda Notice of Allowance in June 2000” March 29, 2001
US6210877 was not published until April 3, 2001Published previously as PCT (WO9840517, Sept 1998)June 2000 announcement referring to PCT wouldhave been more helpful!
Case Study (3): Roche…..
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
…receives EU approval for Herceptin…..discovered anddeveloped by Genentech…… Aug 30, 2000
Protein Design Labs and the US Army hold fundamentalpatents covering many humanized antibodiesGenentech is a non-exclusive licensee of PDL
Case Study (4): Abbott…
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
…and Triangle Pharma….results of phase I/II trial in which DAPD…UNC investigators conducting study….
DAPD claimed by Emory University in 1992Emory has interference & opposition actions with BioChem Pharma
Press Releases: Conclusions
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Take nothing for grantedExpect contradictionsExpect old informationExpect wrong numbers/dates………
“At best, a good press release can be an excellent source of
technical intelligence – but that applies to only 10-20% of
examples……”
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
“….at worst there can be a lot of skilled effort required to extract and codify that intelligence, and
sometimes there is nothing of substance to be said.”
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001
Disinformation from Press Releases?
Yes, if you’re not careful!
Peter Steele
Current Patents Ltd, [email protected] .com
Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001