Boston Biomedical Research Institute and Wyeth announce licensing of Alzheimer's immunotherapy technology.
Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) (Watertown, MA) has entered into an agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth to license BBRI's patented technology for immunotherapy to combat Alzheimer's disease. This agreement will further the Elan and Wyeth collaboration with BBRI on beta amyloid immunotherapy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The ground- breaking work forming the basis for the patent applications was conducted in the lab of Dr. Vic Raso, a senior scientist at BBRI.About the announcement, Dr. Charles Emerson, Director of BBRI said, "Dr. Raso's achievement is a validation of the power of investigator-initiated basic research in the development of innovative cures for devastating diseases. BBRI is dedicated to providing support for investigators like Dr. Raso who are doing innovative work that is not yet supported by conventional funding sources. There is a great need for more public and private support for research such as this at the very frontier of science, where there are no rewards without risk."
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, and the fourth leading cause of death in developed countries. It is estimated that more than four million people in the United States and between 6 and 7 million in Western Europe currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and its prevalence doubles every five years beyond age 65, up to an incidence of 1:3 in people in their 80's.
Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Wyeth will pay an up front licensing fee and will pay patent costs for the technology. Additional milestone payments are possible based on the issuance of certain BBRI patent claims, approval of a commercial product covered by issued patent claims, and royalties on that product. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
BBRI is an independent, not-for-profit institution, dedicated to basic biomedical research to promote the understanding, treatment, and prevention of human diseases, including heart disease, cancer, muscular dystrophy and Alzheimer's. Areas of research focus on biochemical molecular and cellular mechanisms of muscle contractility and cell movement, cell growth and differentiation, and tissue repair and regeneration.
Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non- prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide.
Boston Biomedical Research Institute
+1-617-658-7711
www.bbri.org
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
+1-484-865-5138
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| Publication: | BIOTECH Patent News |
|---|---|
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Nov 1, 2004 |
| Words: | 398 |
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