The possibility of pandemic influenza arising from the avian influenza virus, H5N1, is of critical importance for global public health. The need to safeguard the health of the poor and to provide fair access to needed medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines has put patent systems at the heart of the debate. How do patents impact development and commercialization of products targeted against major world diseases? Does the use of patents as a part of strategy to inventivize commercial development adversely and disproportionately affect some nations and populations? Do internationally shared public health goals - such as addressing pandemic influenza - require different treatment of patents than public health challenges that are regional in nature? Virtually all of the discussion of this topic occurs in the absence of a clear and transparent body of evidence.
The most strongly voiced concern is whether patents claiming influenza genomes, genes or proteins will compromise equitable access to products that are derived from them. It is not surprising that the nations most strongly affected by avian flu are most deeply concerned about their ability to respond to current and projected public health needs. Global health officials and national authorities seek clarity in the terms of access to health interventions to address pandemic influenza. To address this concern, a factual basis for how much of the influenza genome, especially of the H5N1 virus and its derivatives, has been patented or has patents pending is needed.
If the extent of influenza genome-related patents can be determined, and their claims and impacts can be analyzed, then their potential effect can be meaningfully discussed and modeled. To do this type of comprehensive analysis of genome-related patents will require a many avenues of investigation, new tools and diverse approaches. The results of one component of this analysis - identification and interpretation of influenza sequences in claims of United States patents and patent applications - is presented in this landscape. It is part of a wider study initiated by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and has been funded in part by PATH Vaccine Solution. Other complementary approaches are reported on the WIPO web site. Using the tools developed in this study, the next stages will examine critical jurisdictions whose patent systems are much less navigable.
The patent landscape determined by sequence analysis has yielded some key findings:
In doing this study, it has become clear that we face a serious limitation with the virtual impossibility of searching patents in many of the countries currently impacted by Avian Influenza. These Asian countries are also potential hot-spots for the evolution of a pandemic influenza strain. Some of them have expressed profound concerns about the extent of patenting over inventions derived from strains they may contribute to the international influenza efforts. In general, however, the patent offices in South, South East and Eastern Asia, do not have text searchable patents.
Of necessity therefore, this study has been restricted to jurisdictions which have such searching capabilities or report filings of patent applications to international organizations, such as the European Patent Office, that disseminate the data. In so doing, we hope to at least see which players with international ambitions may be pursuing patent protection over influenza genome - related inventions, to better focus particular targeted searches through this means.
These countries are in a key position to create a basis of evidence from which to evaluate the merits of these concerns and to develop remedies should these concerns be validated in their countries. In furtherance of this aim, we have been extending the Patent Lens search and analysis capabilities to internationalize and make ready to incorporate data from these critical jurisdictions as they become available - and extend the methodology of this first draft landscape to the new data.
Even for those jurisdictions with some searching facility, finding DNA or protein sequences disclosed in or claimed in patents is extraordinarily difficult if not impossible. We also appreciate that there are many techniques for filing invention disclosures that render the searchability of DNA or protein sequences very difficult, including filing PCT applications with 'image-based' sequence files that require optical character recognition (OCR). Thus, this study has stimulated an accelerated program within Patent Lens for improved OCR of sequence files from PCT applications.
Photo Caption: A negative-stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) depicting the ultrastructural details of an influenza virus particle. Photo courtesy of the CDC.
The possibility of pandemic influenza arising from the avian influenza virus, H5N1, is of critical importance for global public health. The need to safeguard the health of the poor and to provide fair access to needed medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines has put patent systems at the heart of the debate. How do patents impact development and commercialization of products targeted against major world diseases? Does the use of patents as a part of strategy to incentivize commercial development adversely and disproportionately affect some nations and populations? Do internationally shared public health goals - such as addressing pandemic influenza - require different treatment of patents than public health challenges that are regional in nature? Virtually all of the discussion of this topic occurs in the absence of a clear and transparent body of evidence.
The most strongly voiced concern is whether patents claiming influenza genomes, genes or proteins will compromise equitable access to products that are derived from them. It is not surprising that the nations most strongly affected by avian flu are most deeply concerned about their ability to respond to current and projected public health needs. Global health officials and national authorities seek clarity in the terms of access to health interventions to address pandemic influenza. To address this concern, a factual basis for how much of the influenza genome, especially of the H5N1 virus and its derivatives, has been patented or has patents pending is needed.
If the extent of influenza genome-related patents can be determined, and their claims and impacts can be analyzed, then their potential effect can be meaningfully discussed and modeled. To do this type of comprehensive analysis of genome-related patents will require a many avenues of investigation, new tools and diverse approaches. The results of one component of this analysis - identification and interpretation of influenza sequences in claims of United States patents and patent applications - is presented in this landscape. It is part of a wider study initiated by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and has been funded in part by PATH Vaccine Solution. Other complementary approaches are reported on the WIPO web site. Using the tools developed in this study, the next stages will examine critical jurisdictions whose patent systems are much less navigable.
Are influenza genomes recited in patent claims? And if so, what portions of which genomes? Are genes from the influenza genome claimed in patents or applications? Are proteins or variants from these genes claimed?
In the first phase of this study, the patents disclosing influenza sequences, and their claims were found by a search of the sequences themselves, rather than by a search using keywords. Our approach incorporated sequence alignment tools to compare a representative sample of influenza nucleotide and amino acid sequences to collections of nucleotide and amino acid sequences that are specifically recited in the claims of granted patents and pending patent applications in the United States. A sequence-based approach may find patents and patent applications that aren't found in conventional keyword-based searches. In the effort to to perform a comprehensive patent landscape, the two approaches should be seen as complementary.
Photo caption: A Thai worker sprays disinfectant on chicken cages Tuesday, July 12, 2005, in the central province of Suphanburi, Thailand, 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Bangkok. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State (2005: The Year in Pictures-Strengthening Alliances and Defending Principles).
Influenza is a contagious disease of mainly the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, bronchi) and is caused by a virus. The virus is passed from person to person by viral particles present in aerosols generated by sneezes and coughs. In most people, the infection is short-lived, about one to two weeks, and typically people recover on their own without complications. In the very young, elderly and people having other diseases, influenza can take a more severe course and lead to complications and even death. For such people, yearly vaccination is indicated. Influenza rapidly spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, with new strains arising in East or Southeast Asia, traveling to Australia and other parts of Oceania, to Western Asia and Europe, to North America, and finally to South America where the strain dies out (Science, 2008). Each year a new strain or strains become the infectious agent. Different strains represent the result of minor genetic changes in the influenza gene sequences.
Two different influenza viruses cause human disease: influenza A and influenza B. Three subtypes of influenza A are important for humans: A(H3N2), A(H1N1) and A(H1N2), of which A(H3N2) is currently associated with the most deaths. The H and N are shorthand for two proteins, haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), located on the surface of the virus. Most recently, there have been limited outbreaks of A(H5N1) virus, which has been transmitted from birds to humans. The H5N1 virus is potent, it is highly contagious in birds and can be deadly to them, moreover, over half of the people that contracted this influenza have died. Most of these people have been in direct or close contact with infected poultry. In general, H5N1 remains a very rare disease in people and does not appear to readily spread from person to person.
Nonetheless, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, public health officials and scientists are concerned that A(H5N1) virus could change to become infectious and contagious in humans. If A(H5N1) virus were to gain the capacity to spread easily from person to person, there is a likelihood of an influenza pandemic (worldwide outbreak of disease) could begin. Based on statistics from past influenza pandemics, and the known morbidity of the few cases of human A(H5N1) disease, a high death rate and a very large number of deaths could occur. To limit these disastrous consequences, specific vaccines are being developed. Vaccination is the principal way of attacking influenza, for many reasons antiviral medications are not generally used.
For more information on influenza, H5N1 virus and pandemics, see
CDC - Center for Disease
Control
WHO
- World Health Organization
Photo Caption: Policemen in Seattle wearing masks made by the Red Cross during the influenza epidemic in December, 1918. Photo courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
In contrast to many other viruses, the influenza genome is composed of RNA rather than DNA. The genome comprises eight segments, and only virus particles containing all eight segments are viable. New genomes can be assembled as a result of mixing between two viruses. That is, if a cell is infected with two different strains of influenza, it is possible for the segments to re-assort to create new viruses that have segments from each original virus. New combinations may be more or less virulent than the old combinations. Figure 1 below shows the relative sizes of the eight influenza segments as well as the genes that are specified by each. Figure 2 shows how the segments are arranged during viral replication.
Figure 1: The eight RNA segments of the influenza genome. |
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Figure 2: The systematic arrangement of genes during flu virus replication. |
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(Figure 2 courtesy of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) |
There are a number of resources that provide information about influenza, but perhaps the most useful is the Influenza Virus Resource from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. This website gathers Influenza sequences from the NIAID Influenza Genome Sequencing Projects, and provides access to the data free-of-charge, as well as useful tools for both annotation and analysis of the seqences. Furthermore, you can easily access good information about Influenza viruses, as well as links to other Influenza sequence databases.
Another useful resource is the Fluwiki. This site also brings together many different resources (with links), as well as providing information on Influenza virus and pandemics. The National Instutitue of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) also has a good website on Influenza virus, both for lay people and for reserachers.
For the study reported here, two different datasets were compiled: influenza sequences (both nucelotide and amino acid) and sequences recited in patent claims. The patent sequences were compared to the influenza sequences using BLAST programs. Then, the portions of the patent sequences that had significant homology to influenza sequences was determined. Criteria for a match varied according to whether the query was with nucleotide or amino acid sequences.
We obtained the most recent influenza genome and protein sequences collections from the FTP site of NCBI's Influenza Virus Resource. There are more than 2,000 complete influenza genome sequences in the database. Because relatively small changes in the flu genome at either the nucleotide or amino acid level can have large epidemiological effects, all sequences in the database were obtained. The formatdb program from NCBI to convert the data to a searchable BLAST database.
Applications
For patent applications, sequences of the bulk sequence applications were obtained from the Publication Site for Issued and Published Sequences (PSIPS) web site. This web site provides sequence listings for U.S. patents and applications that are longer than 300 pages. Sequence listings for the non-bulk sequence listings (fewer than 300 pages in length) are published by the USPTO as an XML document. For each of the listing types (bulk sequence and non-bulk sequence), there was a separate file for nucleotides and amino acids. Data for U.S. applications have only been available since 2001.
The bulk and non-bulk sequence listings were then converted to a common data format (FASTA) and combined to create one database for nucleotide sequences, and one database for amino acid sequences. Additionally, each of these combined databases was converted to a searchable BLAST database for use with CAMBIA's patent sequence search tool.
Granted (Issued) Patents
For granted U.S. Patents, we used a data source that wasn't available for the applications; GenBank at NCBI has a searchable patent database of sequences disclosed in granted patents. To create a database of sequences in granted patents, the U.S. patent sequences were acquired from GenBank, which required removing all sequences that originated from non-U.S. patents.
Sequence listings from the bulk and non-bulk patents were obtained in the manner described above for Applications. The data from all three sources (GenBank, bulk, and non-bulk) were converted to a common format. A filtering step removed duplicate sequences in the data provided by GenBank and by the USPTO (bulk and non-bulk).
The identical process was carried out for nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences. As with the applications, each of these databases was converted to a searchable BLAST database for use with CAMBIA's patent sequence search tool.
A key feature of our analysis is determining which sequences are recited in the claims of patents and applications, rather than just disclosed in the specification. To this end, we created four databases that contain only the sequences that are recited in the claims of patents and patent applications. The four databases correspond to nucleotide sequences in applications, amino acid sequences in applications, nucleotide sequences in granted patents, and amino acid sequences in granted patents.
Identification of sequences in claims involves the use of keywords that are used to identify sequence listings (e.g., SEQ ID NO:). Establishing a comprehensive list of keywords is challenging, as many different phrases are used. Applying these phrases resulted in a list of sequence ID numbers that are designated in patent claims. Four new databases were then created that contain only the sequences that are recited in the claims of applications and patents.
After compiling a collection of sequences that are recited in the claims of patents and applications, we then used those sequences to query the influenza genome database (see step 1) using MEGABLAST to identify nucleotide sequences, and blastp to identify the amino acid sequences that are recited in claims and have significant homology to sequences in the influenza genome.
Nucleotide MEGABLAST parameters:
Positive matches had an E value of 1e-200 or less, and were at least 150 nucleotides in length.
Amino Acid blastp parameters:
Positive matches had at least 80% identity.
The patents and patent applications shown in the following tables were identified by a MEGABLAST analysis of the full influenza genome set using sequences recited in granted U.S. patents as the query set. The sequences that had an E value of 1e-200 or less and were at least 150 nucleotides in length were considered a match. Basic information about each patent document is presented: publication number, title, assignee (if unknown, the inventor is listed), influenza segment matched, SEQ ID Nos. that matched the influenza segment, and notes summarizing the claimed sequences.
From an examination of the claims in granted patents, several major points emerge:
The claims in patent applications present a different picture:
The tables are current as of 2 April 2008.
The patents shown in the table below were identified by MEGABLAST analysis of the full influenza genome set from NCBI queried with sequences recited in granted U.S. patents. Criteria for matching sequences were an E value of 1e-200 or less, and at least 150 nucleotides in length. If the assignee is unknown, the inventor is listed. Related patents and patent applications filed in other countries can be found by clicking on patent number and navigating to the Patent Family and Status tab. This list is current as of 2 April 2008.
Of the patents listed in the table below, none appear to claim specific nucleic acid sequences encoding a full-length hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) protein from other than equine influenza virus. Moreover, fully one-half (6) are directed to equine influenza viruses, while one is directed to swine influenza virus. Of the remaining patents, a few are directed to sequences useful for vaccine production. In particular, US 6720409 claims sequences that encode a fragment of HA (H2 or H3 sub-type) that is antigenic. Although not directly claiming HA and NA sequences, US 7037707 recites a method for producing a reassortant virus in which the origin of the six segments encoding internal proteins is specified and the origin of sequences encoding HA and NA are unspecified. As such, the HA and NA could derive any other virus, including from H5N1 virus. It is not an all-encompassing claim however, because of the limitation on the origin of the other sequences.
Of the 12 granted patents listed below, 9 are assigned to corporations and 3 are assigned to non-profit organizations.
|
Patent No. |
Assignee |
Title |
Segment(s) |
Nucleotide SEQ ID in Claims |
Notes |
Other Jurisdictions with Family Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company |
Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing M2 protein of influenza A virus |
A-seg7 |
Claim 4: Yeast cell comprising plasmid that expresses M2 protein or mutant, such that growth of yeast cells is impaired. |
- |
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Inventor: Foley, Patricia L. |
Vaccine against swine influenza virus |
A-seg5 |
Claims directed to SEQ ID NO: 2 and to a vaccinia virus containing SEQ ID
2. |
Canada |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-seg1 |
Claim 2: Nucleic acid ID 47 that encodes PB2 of equine influenza virus. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-seg2 |
Claim 2: Nucleic acids that encode PB1 of equine influenza virus. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-seg4_H3 |
Claim 2: Nucleic acid molecule (SEQ ID 10) that encodes equine influenza HA. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-seg7 |
Nucleic acid SEQ ID 4 or 6, which encode M protein. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-seg8 |
Nucleic acid SEQ ID 57 or 59, which encode NS protein. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Oklahoma State University |
DNA vaccine expressing HA1 of equine-2 influenza virus |
A-seg4_H3 |
Claim 4: A vaccine for equine influenza virus comprising DNA encoding HA1 protein. |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Maxico |
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Protein Sciences Corporation |
Method for producing influenza hemagglutinin multivalent vaccines |
A-seg4_H1, A-seg4_H3 |
Claim 5: Nucleic acid encoding part of IDs 6 and 8 that are signal peptide linked to a heterologous coding sequence. |
Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Europe. Spain, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Hungary, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia |
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Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
Anti-human influenza virus antibody |
A-seg4_H2, A-seg4_H3 |
Claim 3: Gene sequence that encodes HA polypeptide that has antigenicity of stem region but lacks globular head region. For raising antibodies and for a vaccine. |
Canada, Germany, Europe, Japan |
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
Method for generating influenza viruses and vaccines |
A-seg8 |
Claim 2: Method for producing reassortant influenza virus by transfecting host cells with expression plasmids containing PB2 PB1 PA NP M genes from A/PuertoRico/8/34 virus and NS sequence ID 2 encoding NS1 and NS2, and other n.a. encoding HA and NA from other virus. |
World |
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The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-seg4_H3 |
Claim 1: Nucleic acid molecule (either SEQ ID 10 or 12) that encodes equine influenza HA. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
For these applications, PAIR on the USPTO web site was consulted to determine which nucleotide sequences are currently pending. The applications shown in the table below all claim an H5 and/or an N1 segment. The MedImmune patent application is directed to a live virus that would raise immunity to H5N1, but which does not cause disease itself. If these claims are granted (as seems likely), the claims are not very broad; claim 17 requires specific sequences or origins of seven of the genome segments. The two WARF patent applications are drawn to a similar type of virus to raise immunity to H1N1.
The last column shows the non U.S. jurisdictions where related patent applications are filed. No information is provided here regarding the status of these applications.
Of the 4 applications in the table below, 3 are assigned to non-profit organizations and one is assigned to a corporation.
|
Application No. |
Assignee |
Title |
Sequences Currently Pending and Corresponding Segment |
Status |
Other Jurisdictions with Family Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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MedImmune Vaccines, Inc. |
Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants |
5 - segment 4 (encoding H5) 6 - segment 6 (encoding N1) |
Pending; Final Rejection Mailed Cl 17: A reassortment virus, with 6 internal genome segments from influenza
strain Cl 24: An immunogenic amount of reassortment virus further comprising a nucleic acid encoding NA selected from ID 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. Related application US 2005-0287172 has similar claim to claim 17, but drawn to NA having amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16 and SEQ ID NO: 5 encoding HA. |
Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan |
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National Tsing Hua University |
Pseudotyped baculovirus to stimulate immunogenicity against avian influenza |
2 - segment 4 encoding H5 |
Pending; Ready for Examination Claims are directed to vectors that encode viral proteins, including H5. |
- |
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Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) |
High titer recombinant influenza viruses for vaccines and gene therapy |
3
- segment
1 |
Pending; Final Action Mailed Cl 8: High titre reassortment virus comprising plurailty of vectors for vRNA production and vectors for mRNA production. |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Norway, South Africa |
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Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation |
High titer recombinant influenza viruses for vaccines |
3
- segment
1 |
Pending; Restriction requirement mailed (response due 2008.05.28) Claims are directed to vectors that produce a 7:1 reassortment virus. |
World |
The applications listed below recite at least one nucleotide sequence in the claims that has a high degree of similarity to a sequence in the influenza genome set. For each application, we show the number of similar sequences out of the total number of sequences in the published claims. Although most all of the applications recite multiple sequences in the published claims, there is generally only one or a few claims in prosecution.
The last column shows the non U.S. jurisdictions where related patent applications are filed. No information is provided here regarding the status of these applications.
With respect to policy issues of the H5N1 virus, the sequences in these applications do not relate to the H5 or the N1 subtypes. Moreover, at least half of the applications are either abandoned or prosecuting claims that do not recite sequences. (Prosecution is the back and forth discussion and argumentation that occurs between a patent office and a patent applicant.) During the prosecution process claims are often amended or limited, so that until there is allowance of the claims, there is a level of uncertainty as to what will ultimately be granted, or even if a patent grant will occur.
Of the 13 applications listed in the table below, 7 are assigned to corporations and 6 are assigned to non-profit organizations.
|
Application number |
Assignee |
Title |
Number of Sequences with Similarity to Influenza / Total Number of Sequences in Claims |
Segment(s) matching sequences in claims (A= influenza A; B= influenza B) |
Status |
Claims summary |
Other Jurisdictions with Family Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Artemis Pharmaceuticals GMBH |
Influenza viruses with enhanced transcriptional and replicational capacities |
11 / 11 |
2 |
Abandoned 21/3/05. No pending U.S. family members. |
ABANDONED |
Australia, Europe, Japan |
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The Cornell Research Foundation |
Canine Influenza Virus |
1 / 2 |
A: 4 (H3) |
Pending; Non Final Action Mailed |
Claims directed to a canine virus with nucleic acids encoding viral proteins. |
World |
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CureVac GmbH |
Pharmaceutical composition containing a stabilised mRNA optimised for translation in its coding regions |
7 / 7 |
A: 7 |
Pending; Final Rejection Mailed |
Viral sequences NOT in prosecution |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Europe, Germany, Spain |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
27 / 54 |
A: 1, 2, 3, 8 |
Allowed |
Nucleic acid sequences NOT in allowed claims |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
1 / 2 |
A: 1 |
Allowed |
Claims to SEQ IDs 16 and 23, which encode PB2-N and PB2-C |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
9 / 16 |
A: 1, 7 |
Allowed |
Claims to SEQ ID No. 3 and 6, which encode M protein |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
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Iowa State Univ Research Foundation, Inc. |
Canine influenza virus and related compositions and methods of use |
3 / 8 |
A: 2, 3, 7 |
Pending; Response to Non-Final Action entered |
Claims in prosecution are to canine virus that produces proteins having specific sequences. |
Argentina, World |
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MedImmune Vaccines, Inc. |
Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants |
34 / 34 |
A: 4 (H1, H3) 6 (N1, N2) B: 4, 6 |
Pending; Final Action Mailed |
Claims are to proteins encoded by SEQ IDs 19, 53, which are H1 proteins. |
Canada, Europe |
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Ogilvy Renault LLP |
Molecular methods and compositions for detecting and quantifying respiratory viruses |
170 / 170 |
A: 4 (H5, H9) |
Pending; Response to Non-Final Office Action Entered |
Claim in prosecution is directed to a metapneumovirus that comprises SEQ ID NO: 173. |
Australia, Canada |
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The Regents of the University of Michigan |
Cold-Adapted Influenza Virus |
1 / 1 |
A: 8 |
Pending; Ready for Examination |
Nucleic acids NOT recited in claim |
- |
|
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Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation |
Viruses encoding mutant membrane protein |
8 / 8 |
B: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Pending; Non Final Action Mailed |
Nucleic acids NOT recited in claims |
Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russian Federation |
|
|
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation |
H3 equine influenza A virus |
4 / 8 |
A: 1, 2, 3, 7 |
Pending; Non-Final Action Mailed |
Claims directed to a virus with nucleic acids encoding viral proteins. |
- |
|
|
University of Massachusetts |
Influenza nucleic acids, polypeptides, and uses thereof |
3 / 6 |
A: 4 (H1, H3), 6 (N2) |
Pending; Response to restiction requirement entered |
Claims are directed to methods for inducing immune response by administering codon-optimized nucleic acid encoding HA (H1, H3) or NA (N2). |
Canada, Europe |
All applications in the table had at least one sequence in the original claim set that had a MEGABLAST e value of 1e-200 or less and were at least 150 nucleotides in length.
The extent of patent protection for protein and peptide sequences of influenza is equally important to protection for genome nucleotide sequences. Some types of vaccine production entail use of proteins and peptide, and they are also used in diagnostics. For these reasons, we searched for and analyzed patents and patent applications claiming proteins and peptides derived from influenza virus. In particular, patent claims that recite an influenza-derived amino acid (protein, peptide) sequence were found by querying a dataset of influenza protein sequences obtained from NCBI. The minimum length requirement of a match was set to 10 amino acids in order to include claimed peptides. While the cut-off for inclusion in the following tables is 80% identity, upon inspection of the actual claims, it is clear that a large number of the matches in the 80-95% range are very short peptides and furthermore, were not derived from influenza proteins. Thus, for the granted patents, length criteria was raised to 95% identity (all exceptions noted in the table); for patent applications, the length criteria remains 80% until a detailed inspection of the claims is undertaken.
From the following data, conclusions include:
Most of the patents in the table below claim peptides, ranging from about 9 amino acids to about 25 amino acids long. Most of the claims reciting full-length or near full-length proteins are drawn to equine influenza virus proteins. One patent (US 6337181) is drawn to a method for determining which HA variants are advantageous to the virus by an alignment and comparison of sequences. Although not directly claiming HA and NA sequences, US 7037707 recites a method for producing a reassortant virus in which the origin of the six segments encoding internal proteins is specified and the origin of sequences encoding HA and NA are unspecified. As such, the HA and NA could derive any other virus, including from H5N1 virus. It is not an all-encompassing claim however, because of the limitation on the origin of the other sequences.
Peptides in the claims are intended for a variety of purposes. Some recite peptides for use in vaccines comprising peptides (e.g., US 674032), while others recite peptides as part of a fusion protein, such as linked to env protein of HIV (e.g., US 6451322), or peptides that are associated with MHC molecules (US 5976551).
The patents in this table were found by either a blast-p search or a tblastn search. Except where noted, sequences have at least 95% identity to an influenza protein or a translated genome sequence. Most patents were found by both search methods; those found only in a tblastn search are noted. Claims of patents meeting the criteria were further screened to exclude those that recited an influenza sequence as a minor component of a product and those that recited method claims that were directed to fields other than influenza.
Of the 20 patent grants shown below, 9 are assigned to corporations and 11 are assigned to non-profit organizations.
|
Patent No. |
Assignee |
Title |
Segment(s) |
SEQ ID NO |
Notes |
Other Jurisdictions with Family Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Aventis Pasteur Limited |
Diagnostic kits comprising genetically engineered human immunodeficiency virus-like particles containing heterologous antigenic markers |
A-Seg4 |
Diagnostic kit for detecting abs reactive with HIV-like particle having a non-retroviral, non-mammalian anchor sequence, peptides 2, 3, or 4. only found in tblast-n |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan, Mexico |
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Aventis Pasteur Limited |
Retrovirus like particles made non infectious by a plurality of mutations |
A-Seg4 |
Non-infectious HIV-like particle w antigenic anchor sequence. only found in tblast-n |
Australia |
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Sanofi Pasteur Limited |
Retrovirus-like particles made non-infectious by a plurality of mutations |
A-Seg4 |
A HIV-like particle with modified gag, etc. and env with an anchor sequence peptide. only found in tblast-n; continuation of 6451322 |
Australia |
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Sanofi Pasteur Limited |
Retrovirus-like particles made non-infectious by a plurality of mutations |
A-Seg4 |
Peptides are used as anchor sequences in an artificial HIV-like particle. SEQ ID NO: 4 is 90% identical (l=20 aa) continuation of 6923970 |
Australia |
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Cobra Therapeutics Limited |
Compositions and methods for highly efficient transfection |
A-Seg5 |
Cationic peptides used for improving transfection of nucleic acids. Peptides designed to have many basic residues. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan, United Kingdom, Portugal |
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|
Connaught Laboratories Limited, Toronto |
Antigenically-marked non-infectious retrovirus-like particles |
A-Seg4 |
Methods for detecting abs to anchor peptide using an HIV-like particle comprising a gag, pol, and env having an anchor sequence peptide (2, 3, or 4). only found in tblast-n |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan, Mexico |
||
|
Institut Pasteur and Institut Nationale de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale |
Altered major histocompatibility complex (MHC) determinant and method of using the determinant |
Seg 4, 7 A-Seg5 |
Claim 8: Compositions of peptides associated with altered MHC class II polypeptides. For eliciting immune responses to peptides. |
- |
||
|
Protein Sciences Corporation |
Method for producing influenza hemagglutinin multivalent vaccines |
A-Seg4 |
Claim 1: Amino acids 1-18 of SEQ IDs 7 or 9, which is signal peptide, linked to a heterologous aa sequence. |
Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Europe. Spain, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Hungary, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia |
||
|
Research Corporation Technologies, Inc. |
Compositions and methods for the inhibition of phagocytes |
Seg5 - nucleoprotein (NP) |
Peptides of defined sequence. For inhibiting phagocyte activation. |
Australia |
||
|
SRI International; New York Medical College |
M-protein peptides of influenza virus as antiviral agents |
Seg7 - matrix |
Claim 1: Peptide from M protein that inhibits influenza transcription. |
Canada, Germany, Europe, Japan |
||
|
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
Method for generating influenza viruses and vaccines |
A-Seg8 |
Cl 1 and 15: Method for producing reassortant influenza virus by transfecting host cells wwith expression plasmids containing PB2 PB1 PA NP M genes from A/PuertoRico/8/34 virus and NS sequence encoding NS1 (ID 3 or 5) and NS2 (ID 4 or 6) and HA and NA from other virus. |
World |
||
|
Inventors: Jeffrey Joseph Stewart et al. |
Method of specifying vaccine components for viral quasispecies |
A-Seg4 |
ID nos 1, 7, 8, and 9 are variants of H3 HA and claims are drawn to method
for determining which variants are advantageous to virus by alignments and
analysis |
- |
||
|
Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
Anti-human influenza virus antibody |
A-Seg4 |
Claim 3: Gene sequence that encodes HA polypeptide that has antigenicity of stem region but lacks globular head region. For raising antibodies and for a vaccine. |
Canada, Germany, Europe, Japan |
||
|
The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-Seg7; B-Seg7 |
Nucleic acid encoding SEQ ID 5 - M protein of equine influenza virus. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
||
|
The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-Seg2; B-Seg1 |
Claim 1: Nucleic acid that encodes protein (SEQ ID 69 or 92 or107), which is an equine influenza PB1, PB1-N or PB1-C protein. |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
||
|
The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-Seg4 |
Claim 2: Nucleic acid molecule encoding SEQ ID 11, which is HA. only found in tblast-n search |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
||
|
The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-Seg1; B-Seg2 |
Claim 1: Equine influenza PB2 protein from H3N8 (continuation filed) |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
||
|
The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
A-Seg4 |
Equine flu protein HA continuation of 6824784 |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
||
|
Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd |
Peptide-based vaccine for influenza |
A-Seg4 A-Seg5 |
Claim 1: synthetic peptide flu vaccine, comprising at least 4 epitopes: HA peptide reactive with B cells; HA peptide (SEQ ID No. 2) reactive with T cells; 2 NP peptides (~15 aa of SEQ IDs 4 and 5) reactive with CTLs |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan, New Zealand |
||
|
Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. |
Peptide-based vaccine for influenza |
A-Seg4 |
Claim 1: synthetic peptide flu vaccine, comprising at least 4 epitopes: HA peptide reactive with B cells (17 aa of SEQ ID 1); peptide reactive with T cells (~15 aa from SEQ ID 2 or 3 or 11); 2 peptides (~15 aa of SEQ IDs 10, 12, 13) reactive with CTLs |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan, New Zealand |
The applications listed below recite at least one amino acid sequence in the claims that has a high degree of similarity to an influenza peptide sequence. For each application, we show the sequences that are similar to or identical to an influenza sequence. Although most all of the applications recite multiple sequences in the published claims, there is generally only one or a few claims in prosecution. The last column shows the non-U.S. jurisdictions where related applications have been filed. No information is provided here regarding the status of these applications.
This set of applications was identified using blastp. The criteria for inclusion in this table is that the patent claim sequences were at least 80% identical to an influenza peptide sequence.
Of the 57 applications in the table below, 40 are assigned to corporations and 17 are assigned to non-profit organizations.
|
Application No. |
Assignee |
Title |
Sequence IDs in Claims Similar to Influenza |
Other Jurisdictions with Family Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Academia Sinica |
Recombinant baculovirus and virus-like particle |
- |
||
|
Arbor Vita Corporation |
Detection of influenza virus |
Australia, Canada, Europe |
||
|
Artemis Pharmaceuticals GMBH |
Influenza viruses with enhanced transcriptional and replicational capacities |
Australia, Europe, Japan |
||
|
Inventors: Samuel Bogoch et al. |
Systems and methods for identifying replikin scaffolds and uses of said replikin scaffolds |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Israel, Japan, Korea, New Zealand |
||
|
Comissariat A L'Energie Atomique |
Method of selecting hla-dp4 ligands and the applications thereof |
Australia, Canada, Europe, France |
||
|
Corixa Corp. |
Compositions and methods for the therapy and diagnosis of prostate cancer |
Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, United Kingdom, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, Turkey, South Africa |
||
|
Corixa Corp. |
Compositions and methods for the therapy and diagnosis of prostate cancer |
Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, United Kingdom, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, Turkey, Taiwan, South Africa |
||
|
Cornell Research Foundation |
Canine Influenza Virus |
World |
||
|
Curelab, Inc. |
Vaccine compositions and methods |
Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan |
||
|
Cytos Biotechnology AG |
Molecular antigen array |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Israel, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Diversa Corporation |
Vaccines |
Canada, United Kingdom, Norway |
||
|
Dow AgroSciences LLC |
Stable immunoprophylactic and therapeutic compositions derived from transgenic plant cells and methods for production |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Dow AgroSciences LLC |
Stable immunoprophylactic and therapeutic compositions derived from transgenic plant cells and methods for production |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Dow AgroSciences LLC |
Preparation of vaccine master cell lines using recombinant plant suspension cultures |
Argentina, World |
||
|
Fraunhofer U.S.A. Inc. |
Influenza antigens, vaccine compositions, and related methods |
Australia, Canada, China, Europe |
||
|
General Electric Company |
Vaccine delivery compositions and methods of use |
Austria, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Europe, Spain, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Genesis Biotech, Inc. |
Constructs of branched synthetic peptide immunogens with artificial T helper cell epitopes coupled to B cell epitopes |
China |
||
|
Genesis Biotech, Inc. |
Epitope profiles of SARS coronavirus |
- |
||
|
Hawaii Biotech, Inc. |
Influenza recombinant subunit vaccine |
World |
||
|
Hawaii Biotech, Inc. |
Influenza recombinant subunit vaccine |
World |
||
|
Hawaii Biotech, Inc. |
Influenza recombinant subunit vaccine |
World |
||
|
Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
6, 9, 14, 22, 25, 28, 33, 37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 54, 62, 64, 67, 69, 72, 77, 85, 88, 96, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130 |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
|
|
Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Europe, Spain, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Heska Corporation |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
||
|
The University of Pittsburgh |
Cold-adapted equine influenza viruses |
2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 24, 45, 48, 51, 55, 58, 63, 66, 69, 77, 81, 86, 89, 92, 95, 104, 107 |
Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Japan |
|
|
IDM Pharma, Inc. |
Compositions and methods for eliciting CTL immunity |
Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Europe, Spain, Finland, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, OAPI, Portugal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa |
||
|
Immune Disease Institute, Inc. |
Inhibition of gene expression using RNA interfering agents |
Australia, Europe, Japan |
||
|
Innogenetics N.V. |
Core-glycosylated HCV envelope proteins |
ARIPO, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Europe, Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, South Africa |
||
|
Innogenetics N.V. |
Constructs and methods for expression of recombinant HCV envelope proteins |
ARIPO, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Europe, Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, South Africa |
||
|
Institut Gustave Rjoussy, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and Universite Paris |
Polypeptide Sequence Involved in the Modulation of the Immunosuppresive Effect of Viral Proteins |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan |
||
|
Iowa State University Research Foundation |
Canine influenza virus and related compositions and methods of use |
Argentina, World |
||
|
Kirin Beer |
Human monoclonal antibodies to influenza M2 protein and methods of making and using same |
Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Japan |
||
|
Kirin Pharma Kabushiki Kaisha |
Human monoclonal antibodies to influenza M2 protein and methods of making and using same |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24 |
Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Japan |
|
|
MedImmune Vaccines, Inc. |
Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants |
35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 |
Canada, Europe |
|
|
MedImmune Vaccines, Inc. |
Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants |
Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan |
||
|
MediVas |
Method for assembling a polymer-biologic delivery composition |
Austria, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Europe, Spain, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Merck & Co. Inc |
Influenza virus vaccine |
1, 2, 10, 39, 59, 60, 61, 62, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 1, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 143, 144, 145, 146, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168 |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Russian Federation, South Africa |
|
|
Merck Patent GMBH |
TNF alpha-binding polypeptide compositions and methods |
Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa |
||
|
National Tsing Hua University |
Pseudotyped baculovirus to stimulate immunogenicity against avian influenza |
- |
||
|
Novavax, Inc. |
Functional influenza virus like particles (VLPs) |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russian Federation, Singapore |
||
|
PF Medicament |
Molecule of pharmaceutical interest comprising at its n-terminal a glutamic acid or a glutamine in the form of a physiologically acceptable strong acid |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, France, Japan, Mexico, South Africa |
||
|
Pharmexa Inc. |
Inducing immune responses to influenza virus using polypeptide and nucleic acid compositions |
- |
||
|
Photobiotics Ltd. |
Conjugate |
Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Japan |
||
|
President and Fellows of Harvard College |
Synthetic peptides and methods of use for autoimmune disease therapies |
Australia, Canada, Europe, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa |
||
|
Powerject Vaccines |
Nucleic acid immunization |
Australia, Europe |
||
|
Queensland Institute |
Novel immunogenic lipopeptides comprising T-helper and B-cell epitopes |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea |
||
|
Queensland Institute |
Novel immunogenic lipopeptides comprising T-helper and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea |
||
|
The Regents of the University of California |
Polypeptide transduction and fusogenic peptides |
Australia, Canada, Europe |
||
|
Research Development Foundation |
DNA immunocontraceptive vaccines and uses thereof |
- |
||
|
Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Enzymatic nucleic acid peptide conjugates |
Australia |
||
|
Smithkline Beecham Biologicals |
Tumour-specific animal proteins |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Europe, United Kingdom, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa |
||
|
Tulane Educational Fund |
Method of preventing virus: cell fusion by inhibiting the function of the fusion initiation region in RNA viruses having class i membrane fusogenic envelope proteins |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan |
||
|
U.S. Army |
Model for testing immunogenicity of peptides |
ARIPO, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, New Zealand |
||
|
Vical Inc. |
Influenza virus vaccine composition and methods of use |
Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan |
||
|
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation |
H3 equine influenza A virus |
- |
||
|
Yeda Research and Development |
Nucleic acid molecules, polypeptides, antibodies and compositions containing same useful for treating and detecting influenza virus infection |
Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa |
||
|
Yeda Research and Development |
Peptide-Based Vaccine for Influenza |
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan, New Zealand |
The tables below show how many granted patents and patent applications included in this landscape were assigned to for-profit corporations and non-profit organizations.
Table 1 shows the number of patent documents that fall into each category for each document type. The document types are linked to the corresponding landscape pages. In this table, some patent documents fall into more than one category if, for example, they have claims to both nucleotide and amino acid sequences.
Table 1 Document Type
Corporation
Non-Profit
Total
9 (75%)
3 (25%)
12
9 (45%)
11 (55%)
20
7 (54%)
6 (46%)
13
1 (25%)
3 (75%)
4
40 (70%)
17 (30%)
57
Table 2 shows the assignee information for all of the grants and all of the applications. In this table, patent documents that claimed both nucleotide and amino acid sequences were only counted once.
Table 2 Document Type
Corporation
Non-Profit
Total
Grants (all)
16 (59%)
11 (41%)
27
Applications (all)
41 (64%)
23 (35%)
64
The directory below provides links to download the raw data from our analyses. Clicking on a link will allow you to download a zipped file that contains a list of all of the sequence alignment matches between influenza sequences and patent claim sequences for each type of analysis.
A description of the type of data in each file is as follows:
|
US_A_influenza_aa.blastp.gz |
alignments between U.S. applications with amino acid claims and influenza protein sequences identified using blastp |
|
US_A_influenza_nt.megablast.gz |
alignments between U.S. applications with nucleotide claims and influenza nucleotide sequences identified using MEGABLAST |
|
US_B_influenza_aa.blastp.gz |
alignments between granted U.S. patents with amino acid claims and influenza protein sequences identified using blastp |
|
US_B_influenza_nt.megablast.gz |
alignments between granted U.S. patents with nucleotide claims and influenza nucleotide sequences identified using MEGABLAST |
Carol Nottenburg
Email:
c.nottenburg@cougarlaw.comLocation:
United StatesInstitution:
Cougar Patent Law[Close]Carol Nottenburg
Carol holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from Stanford University and a J.D. magna cum laude from University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law. She was a biomedical scientist in the academic world for many years before earning her law degree. Her legal focus is patents and their strategic integration with business goals.
In private law practice, she often counselled clients on freedom to operate issues and saw the need for more pragmatic learning tools about patents. Carol was the Director of Intellectual Property and Chief Legal Officer for CAMBIA until 2004 and oversaw the creation of the CAMBIA IP Resource.
She has now returned to private practice as principal of Cougar Patent Law (www.cougarlaw.com) and is retained as a consultant for CAMBIA.
Kerry Fluhr
Email:
k.fluhr@cambia.orgLocation:
AustraliaInstitution:
CAMBIA[Close]Kerry Fluhr
Kerry obtained a B.A. in Biochemistry from Ithaca College, followed by a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan, where her research focus was in the area of mechanistic enzymology.
Following graduate school, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, where she studied Type III-secreted exotoxins in gram-negative bacteria. Kerry is also a USPTO-registered Patent Agent, and prior to joining CAMBIA, she worked for several years at a Seattle-based law firm. Her work involved the preparation, prosecution, and analysis of patents and patent applications relating to biotechnology and medical devices.
As a patent analyst at CAMBIA, Kerry focuses on patent landscapes, patent tutorials, and other IP-related projects.
Richard Jefferson
Email:
raj@cambia.orgLocation:
AustraliaInstitution:
CAMBIA[Close]Richard Jefferson
Richard obtained a PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Colorado, followed by an NIH fellowship at the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge where he was responsible for creating and distributing amongst the most widely cited and licensed plant biotechnologies. CAMBIA, an international non-profit institute based in Australia was founded in 1991 and is dedicated to development of tools and enabling technologies to promote equitable life sciences-enabled innovation worldwide.
The CAMBIA BiOS Initiative (www.bios.net) - the biological open source movement is an integrated response to increasing science and technology complexity, patent thickets and innovation system inefficiencies. As part of this work, CAMBIA created the Patent Lens, (www.patentlens.net), an independent, public-good global resource for increasing patent transparency.
Richard has worked and taught extensively in the developing world, supporting the Rockefeller Foundation's biotechnology network for over ten years, and has worked as senior staff for the FAO, and consultant for other UN Agencies. He has been profiled in media including The Economist, Newsweek, Nature Biotechnology and Red Herring. CAMBIA's work has recently featured in cover editorials in most major life sciences journals.
In 2003 he was named by Scientific American to the List of the World's 50 most influential technologists, cited as the World Research Leader for 2003 for Economic Development. Richard is an Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Schwab Foundation, for which is a regular panelist at the Davos meetings of the World Economic Forum.
View full Curriculum Vitae.
Wei Yang
Email:
wei@cambia.orgLocation:
AustraliaInstitution:
CAMBIA[Close]Wei Yang
Wei is originally from China, where he obtained his B.Sc degree in biochemistry from Wuhan University. He worked at China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) as a research scientist before joining CAMBIA in 1996 and obtained a PhD in plant molecular biology from the Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University.
Wei's PhD work on apomixis is shown in the BioForge apomixis project and is available to use under a BiOS license. He then worked as a Research Scientist at CAMBIA on Arabidopsis transgenomics.
Wei has now shifted focus from scientific research to intellectual property and is working with the IP group in biotechnology-related patent analysis and assisting in Chinese-related IP issues.
Kerry Mills
Email:
k.mills@cambia.orgLocation:
AustraliaInstitution:
CAMBIA[Close]Kerry Mills
Kerry studied for her BA and BSc at ANU, completing her honours year working on HIV at the John Curtin School of Medical Research in 1996. She then moved to Melbourne for her PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), studying surface proteins of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.
In 2003, she moved to Heidelberg, Germany, where she studied the earliest infection events of the Hepatitis B virus. She has now returned to her home town to work with CAMBIA.
Neil Bacon
Email:
neil@cambia.orgLocation:
AustraliaInstitution:
CAMBIA[Close]Neil Bacon
Neil is from Hamilton, New Zealand, where he caught a B.Sc (Phys) at Waikato Uni. He did a short stint of seismic surveying in the Bass Strait with Esso and enjoyed a few stormy days of seas rougher than he imagined possible. He worked at the CSIRO Division of Fossil Fuels and did a part-time M.Sc. (Phys) at the UNSW.
Since then he's been doing IT work, initially embedded engineering applications and telecommunications and finally more general IT, in the UK, NZ, Belgium and Australia. Neil moved back to Australia from Belgium to be warm and live near a nice surf beach, but something went wrong with the plan and he ended up in Canberra - oh well, it's great for cycling. Neil has worked extensively on CAMBIA Sequence Software
Nick dos Remedios
Email:
nick@cambia.orgLocation:
AustraliaInstitution:
CAMBIA[Close]Nick dos Remedios
Dr. dos Remedios is originally from Sydney, Australia, where he completed a B.Sc (Hons) in biochemistry & genetics and a Ph.D. in molecular immunology. Rather than predictably commencing a post-doc in his academic field, he instead commenced working for a local software company, specialising in expert systems for the airline industry. He joined the Informatics Team in early 2001. Some of his roles include programming web applications in Perl and Java, and managing the continual influx of patent data that requires processing for the searchable patent database.
The information contained in this page was believed to be correct at the time it was collated. New patents and patent applications, altered status of patents, and case law may have resulted in changes in the landscape. CAMBIA makes no warranty that it is correct or up to date at this time and accepts no liability for any use that might be made of it. Corrections or updates to the information are welcome, please send an email to info@bios.net.
