Chiron Files Infringement Suit in U.S. Against Gilead Sciences and Agouron on Hepatitis C Patents; Additional Companies May Be Named in Later Actions.EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 3, 1998--Chiron Corporation (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on : CHIR CHIR Chiricahua National Monument (US National Park Service) ) announced today that it has filed suit against Gilead Sciences and Agouron in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,371,017, 5,585,258 and 5,597,691. Gilead Sciences and Agouron are among several companies currently engaged in programs for the development of Hepatitis C virus
abbr. hepatitis C virus HCV 1 Hepatitis C virus, see there 2. Human coronavirus. See Coronavirus. ) protease inhibitor drugs which fall within the scope of Chiron's HCV protease protease /pro·te·ase/ (pro´te-as) endopeptidase. pro·te·ase n. Any of various enzymes, including the proteinases and peptidases, that catalyze the hydrolytic breakdown of proteins. patents. Chiron has continued to make its patent estate available to companies working to discover drugs for the treatment of HCV infection while at the same time pursuing its own research and product development activities for hepatitis. To date four companies have signed non-exclusive HCV licenses, which allow the companies to practice under Chiron's patents with respect to the use of HCV protease in protease inhibitor research activities. Due to the intense interest of pharmaceutical companies in developing protease inhibitor therapeutics to treat HCV infection, Chiron expects to conclude additional agreements granting other companies the right to develop such therapeutics under Chiron's HCV patents. Chiron has been actively involved in non-A, non-B hepatitis non-A, non-B hepatitis n. Abbr. NANB hepatitis Hepatitis that is caused by a virus that is antigenically different from hepatitis viruses A and B. research since the early 1980s, and is a recognized scientific leader in the field of hepatitis. As a result of Chiron's successful cloning of HCV, Chiron possesses an extensive HCV patent portfolio, and is engaged in numerous research and commercial activities, which utilize its expertise in the HCV field. Chiron Corporation, headquartered in Emeryville, California, is a leading biotechnology company that participates in three global healthcare markets: diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. Chiron also conducts research and development in the fields of biological proteins, gene therapy and combinatorial chemistry.
CONTACT: Chiron Corp., Emeryville
Jim Knighton, 510/923-6055
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