Prominent IP Updates on Feb 12, 2015

Silence Therapeutics wins patent challenge by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Sirna Therapeutics

Silence Therapeutics said it had won a very important victory that protects its intellectual property. The Board of Appeal of European Patent Office validated Silence’s patent covering an alternating pattern of modified and unmodified nucleotides.

Google has a patent for a wearable that makes you smell better

Much of today’s wearable gadgetry is designed to track activity and movement for fitness purposes. Here’s a much stranger idea, courtesy of a new patent awarded to Google on Feb. 10: A movement-tracker that activates a web-connected air freshener to emit a fragrance to mask any offending odors caused by physical activity.

Ballard Power Systems Shares Soar On Volkswagen Patent Deal

Ballard Power Systems Inc. signed an $80 million deal to sell a fuel-cell patent portfolio to Volkswagen AG. British Columbia-based Ballard shares gained nearly 48 percent Wednesday, changing hands recently at $2.49 a share. Ballard said the deal also includes a two-year extension of an existing engineering services contract with Volkswagen.

Novogen Limited Lodges Key Super-benzopyran Patent

Novogen Limited today announced the lodgement of final specifications of a patent that covers the Company’s first family of super-benzopyran compounds that to date has yielded leading drug candidates TRXE-002, TRXE-009 and TRXE-0025.

Kyle Bass Fires Opening Salvo Against Pharma Patents

Texas hedge fund manager Kyle Bass, head of Hayman Capital Management, has taken the first step in what has been described as a “short activist” strategy against U.S. drug makers. In a 60-page petition filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark office, Bass challenged the legitimacy of Acorda Therapeutics’ patents on multiple-sclerosis drug Ampyra.

USF Receives Anti-MRSA Compound Patent

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA, is one of the most dangerous infections around, thanks to its resistance to most treatments, and its ability to easily spread to patients in high-risk areas such as hospitals and nursing homes. Microbiologists and chemists at the University of South Florida have received a U.S. patent for a synthetic compound they developed that shows promise in fighting the infection.

Lion Biotechnologies Obtains Exclusive License From NIH

Lion Biotechnologies, Inc., a biotechnology company that is developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), today announced that it has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to intellectual property related to a next-generation TIL technology for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

KYTHERA Acquires Worldwide Rights

KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has entered into separate license agreements with Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and the University of Pennsylvania for a novel approach for the treatment of hair loss, which together could enable KYTHERA to bring a new treatment to the very large and still highly unsatisfied hair loss market.

Irresistible Materials Signs License Agreement with MicroChem

Irresistible Materials, a UK materials technology company spun-out from the University of Birmingham, announced today it has signed a License Agreement with MicroChem Corp., a supplier of innovative solutions for MEMS, Microelectronics and other emerging technology markets.

Ceapro Expands License Agreement With University of Alberta

Ceapro Inc., a growth-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of active ingredients for healthcare and cosmetic industries, announced an expansion to its agreement with the University of Alberta for the development and commercialization of an innovative drying technology called Pressurized Gas eXpanded Technology (PGX) to include all fields of use, including emerging industrial opportunities.

FileCatalyst Integrates with Vidispine

Unlimi-Tech Software, Inc., a pioneer in managed file transfers and the creator of FileCatalyst, an Emmy® Award winning accelerated file transfer solution, announced an integration partnership agreement with Sweden based Vidispine, a content management platform for media professionals and developers.

Judge Issues Ruling in Immersion’s District Court Litigation Against HTC Corporation

-Immersion Corporation, today announced that the judge issued opinions on claim construction and summary judgment motions in Immersion’s lawsuit in the U.S. District Court against HTC Corporation for infringement of certain of Immersion’s patents. The judge denied HTC’s summary judgment argument that it did not infringe two of Immersion’s patents, US 6,429,846 and US 7,969,288 but invalidated three other of Immersion’s patents in suit on procedural grounds.

Western Michigan student awarded patent for speech aid

Motivated by his own struggles with having a speech impediment, a business student at Western Michigan University has been awarded a patent for a device that he said can change lives by helping people around the world enhance their speech.

Patent Issued for One-To-Many Electronic Signature Process

Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, IL) has been issued patent number 8949612, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews editors. Electronic signatures are known in the art and are currently being used with credit card purchases and other one-time signature methods.