Wisconsin Advanced Technology Advocates, Inc.

Pfizer signs embryonic stem cell license with UW foundation

By Kathleen Gallagher of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: May. 5, 2009

Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday that it has signed a license with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation to use human embryonic stem cells for the development of new drug therapies. With annual revenue of more than $48 billion,

Pfizer is the biggest of the 35 companies to sign an embryonic stem cell license with the foundation, said Andy DeTienne, WARF's licensing manager for stem cells. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Court Rules In Pfizer's Favor In Norvasc Patent Case, Finds Synthon Obtained Patent By Inequitable Conduct

NEW YORK, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The federal district court in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) has ruled that Synthon IP obtained, by inequitable conduct, two U.S. patents alleged to cover a process and an intermediate compound used to make the active ingredient in Pfizer's widely-prescribed hypertension medication, Norvasc, Pfizer said today.

Pfizer said the court found that Synthon had knowingly failed to disclose to the U.S. Patent Office Pfizer publications and other information it had in its possession that described the process Synthon sought to patent. "It's very difficult to meet the standards for establishing inequitable conduct," said Allen Waxman, Pfizer's general counsel. "But in this case it is clear that Synthon improperly used Pfizer's own published material to obtain a patent that it then tried to enforce against us."

Pfizer said it intends to seek attorneys' fees from Synthon. The case may be appealed.

Synthon had asserted that Pfizer's process for manufacturing Norvasc --a process Pfizer had not only published but has been using for 15 years --infringed Synthon patents issued in 2003 and 2005. In August of last year, a jury unanimously ruled that one of those patents was not infringed by Pfizer and was invalid on multiple grounds, principally because it was based on Pfizer's prior published work. Synthon had dropped its claim of infringement on the second patent prior to trial.

Court Affirms $7 Million in Damages for Innogenetics in Patent Infringement Suit

Judge Denies Abbott Laboratories' Requests for New Trial

GENT, Belgium and MADISON, Wis., January 04, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Biotechnology Company Innogenetics announced today that a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Wisconsin affirmed a previously awarded $7 million damage verdict against Abbott Laboratories for infringing the company's HCV genotyping patent. In the same ruling the judge rejected Abbott's requests for a new trial on infringement and validity.

The January 3, 2007 order also granted Innogenetics' motion for prejudgment interest on the damage award and set a January 11 evidentiary hearing date to consider the company's request for a permanent injunction against Abbott's sale of infringing products. The judge's opinion vacated the jury's determination that Abbott willfully infringed Innogenetics' patent, and declined to award enhanced damages or attorneys fees.

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Ruling Upholds Eli Lilly’s Patent on Drug

By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Eli Lilly & Company won a federal appeals court ruling on Tuesday upholding its patent on Zyprexa, the world’s top-selling schizophrenia drug.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in Washington, affirmed a lower court decision that the patent was valid. The Ivax unit of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories had claimed a federal judge was mistaken in ruling the drug was protected until Lilly’s patent expires in 2011.

In addition, “Lilly did not fail to disclose information” to the patent office, as its rivals suggested, the judges said in their 21-page opinion. The opinion upheld a decision by Judge Richard L. Young of United States District Court in Indianapolis.

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Bone drug still viable: DeLuca

Bone drug still viable: DeLuca
By Jeff Richgels

Despite the ending of its partnership with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Madison-based Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals remains confident about prospects for its lead drug.

"It's a very safe compound and it looks like it might work," said UW-Madison Professor Hector DeLuca, who led the team that developed 2MD, a potentially revolutionary osteoporosis drug that is the first to show the ability to stimulate new bone formation, rather than just prevent bone loss.

Osteoporosis is a disease involving the loss of normal bone that results in a susceptibility to fractures. The disease affects some 25 million people in the U.S. and is most frequently seen in postmenopausal women, elderly people and those taking corticosteroids.

Deltanoid is preparing to initiate the second of three phases of clinical trials for 2MD.

Pfizer, which signed a deal with Deltanoid in January 2003, had been conducting its own Phase II trials of 2MD but quit after six months, ending the relationship with Deltanoid last December, DeLuca said.

"It was their design and we did not have any controlling vote in the design of the trial," DeLuca said. "They started out and used very low doses, much lower than we would use. We worked extensively with animals and knew what (dosage) they would tolerate."

"The reasons they didn't go further are not entirely known to us," DeLuca added.

One possibility, he said, is business because Pfizer has several drugs in development "and our's may not have reached their highest priority."

Another is that Pfizer said it did not see any bone density increases in the six months, but DeLuca said that was not enough time.

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UW scientist finds more ways to fight diseases

UW scientist finds more ways to fight diseases
"Isn't just for bones anymore" says DeLuca
By Samara Kalk Derby

In the beginning, vitamin D research at the University of Wisconsin was all about building better bones, especially for children.

But "vitamin D therapy isn't just for bones anymore," pioneering UW-Madison scientist Hector DeLuca told a crowd of 250 at the Overture Center Tuesday night in a rare public lecture.

Now, he said, the vitamin D frontiers include developing treatments for psoriasis, dialysis patients, diabetes, osteoporosis, prevention of hip fractures, and even cancer.

DeLuca, who holds more than 200 U.S. patents, led his audience through the story of vitamin therapy, beginning in the 1850s, when German biochemists dominated science.

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State hopes to woo Abbott Labs

State hopes to woo Abbott Labs
Governor to discuss economic package
By TOM DAYKIN
tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 28, 2006

Global pharmaceutical maker Abbott Laboratories Inc.'s long-range plans to expand into southeastern Wisconsin are expected to be the subject of a Thursday announcement by Gov. Jim Doyle.

Abbott recently bought almost 500 acres west of I-94 in Kenosha County. Sources said Tuesday that Doyle will discuss a state financing package to help Abbott acquire additional land for its planned development in Pleasant Prairie, a few miles north of the Wisconsin-Illinois border.

Abbott anticipates using the Kenosha County site for future growth, company spokesman Jonathan Hamilton said, but Abbott does not now have any specific development plans in place for the property.

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Supreme Court to hear MedImmune case

Supreme Court to hear MedImmune case
Associated Press

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear a case on whether drug-maker MedImmune Inc. has the right to sue rival Genentech Inc. over a lucrative drug patent.

MedImmune claims San Francisco-based Genentech and British biotechnology firm Celltech R&D Ltd. improperly schemed to obtain a patent on antibody technology, allegedly in violation of antitrust laws. MedImmune wants the patent invalidated.

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Abbott Labs might have plans in Kenosha County

Abbott Labs might have plans in Kenosha County
Company won't discuss its intentions, but Doyle confirms development talks
By TOM DAYKIN
tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 12, 2006

Pleasant Prairie - Global pharmaceutical maker Abbott Laboratories Inc. has purchased nearly 500 acres just west of I-94 in Kenosha County and is negotiating a state financing package to develop the property.

Abbott, based about 15 miles south of Kenosha County in suburban Chicago, has purchased 467 acres for $34.9 million, according to documents filed with the Kenosha County register of deeds. The parcels are in the northwest quadrant of the I-94/Highway Q interchange, in the village of Pleasant Prairie and the town of Bristol.

A developer not involved with the project estimated that the site is large enough to hold offices and manufacturing facilities that employ thousands of people.

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$1.6 million to help develop Alzheimer's treatments

Drug firm has an angel
$1.6 million to help develop Alzheimer's treatments
By JOHN SCHMID
jschmid@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 1, 2006

Mithridion Inc., a start-up pharmaceutical firm near Madison, announced Wednesday that it scored a $1.6 million investment to help develop drugs that stop or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

"Very high rewards come with very high risk," said Mithridion chief executive Trevor M. Twose.

Mithridion's funding, announced with fanfare in Madison, is known in the investment trade as early-stage private equity. Such "angel investing" appears to be increasing in Wisconsin, according to a report by NorthStar Economics Inc. think-tank, released in conjunction with the company's announcement.

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