UK Labour promises public generics company, compulsory drug licensing
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the UK Labour Party, has pledged to create a publicly-owned drugs manufacturer and use compulsory licensing to sell generic, lower priced versions of drugs to the country’s National Health Service.
EU parliament challenges EPO on plant patentability
The European Parliament has said that the internal rules of the European Patent Office “must not undermine democratic political control of European patent law”.
Federal Circuit upholds Inter-Cellular PTA delay
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled that delays resulting from challenges to patent examiners’ final decisions will be attributed to the applicant when calculating patent term adjustment.
Pharma CEO jailed for distributing super-strength drugs
A former pharmaceutical CEO was last Thursday sentenced to 33 months in prison by an Indiana federal court for distributing “adulterated” drugs, including sedatives and opioids which were administered to infants.
Oxford Nanopore signs CRISPR licence
UK-based Oxford Nanopore has obtained a licence to CRISPR-Cas9 IP for nanopore sequencing, a third-generation approach used in the sequencing of biopolymers.
Industry dubs Pelosi’s drug pricing plan ‘extreme’
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization has claimed that if the drug pricing plan unveiled by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday, September 19, becomes law, it will upend the US’s ability to lead the world in biomedical innovation.
AG advises CJEU on rights of plant variety owners
Advocate general Henrik Saugmandsgaard Øe has advised Europe’s highest court on the scope of protection held by owners of plant variety rights.
US Senators urge FTC to closely scrutinise pharma mergers
A group of senators has urged the US Federal Trade Commission to closely scrutinise mergers in the pharmaceutical industry, which it said “increase competition issues and stifle innovation”.
Duke and Allergan escape antitrust claims in Akorn suit
A US judge dismissed antitrust counterclaims brought against Allergan and Duke University earlier this week, in a lawsuit the pair filed against generics maker Akorn.
Fed Circuit backs USPTO’s term adjustment for Mayo antibody patent
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the US Patent and Trademark Office’s patent term adjustment of a Mayo Foundation-owned patent.
