Dr. Simon Craw, EVP at ISCO was recently interviewed by the BBC, giving an update on ISCO’s stem cell technology, Parkinson’s disease program and the upcoming decision by the Court of Justice for the European Union (CJEU) on the UK patent applications.
“The interview with the BBC highlighted the progress we’ve made in Parkinson’s disease and the importance of being able to protect our intellectual property in Europe,” said Dr. Simon Craw, the Company’s Executive Vice President. “The definitive ruling on our patents by the CJEU is important not just for ISCO but also for the whole stem cell industry in Europe. Demonstrating beyond doubt that ISCO’s technology is distinct from our competitors and patentable will not only enhance our ability to find partners to help develop stem cell therapies in the EU, but also stimulate investment by large pharmaceutical companies who up to this point have been somewhat on the sidelines”
The patent case involves two key patents filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office in 2012 covering ISCO’s core technology of creating pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized eggs. Initially these patents were thought to contravene European patent law, the so called “European Biotech Directive” which excludes the use of human embryos from patentability. ISCO successfully argued with the UK IPO that its technology does not infringe on this directive, and the UK court has now requested a final ruling from the highest court in Europe with jurisdiction over patents, the Court of Justice for the European Union. The court’s final judgments will be delivered on July 17th 2014.
The full interview with the BBC can be found http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zhkln
More information on the patent case can be found in a previous blog entry http://companyblog.intlstemcell.com/2014/06/an-update-on-iscos-important-patent.html
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