|
| |
Lab21 secures additional IP
for Hepatitis C diagnostics
19 October 2005: Lab 21
(FAREHAM, UK), a leading company providing testing services to the healthcare,
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced today that it has
completed an agreement to exclusively license the Hepatitis C (HCV) diagnostic
technology and associated patent applications of Dr. Carol Holland (TROY, MI,
USA). The deal was brokered by UTEK-EKMS (CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA), a leading
intellectual property (IP) management firm, on behalf of Dr. Holland.
“Lab 21 is committed to providing advanced healthcare testing services and
licensing Dr. Holland’s technology will allow us to further our development in
the area of HCV testing.” said Berwyn Clarke, Chief Scientific Officer of Lab
21. He continued: “HCV is a virus that is likely to resemble HIV in that
antiviral drug resistance will become a significant issue as and when new small
molecule drugs are licensed. The acquisition of this technology is a powerful
tool in support of our commitment to develop resistance genotyping assays that
will allow optimal clinical management of HCV patients.”
Dr Nick Kerton, CEO of Lab21 added: “We are particularly pleased to have secured
this significant IP deal at a time when there are signs of real progress in the
development of new HCV antiviral drugs.”
Edward Kahn, President of UTEK-EKMS, the intellectual property management and
licensing firm that represented Dr. Carol Holland in the deal, said he was very
satisfied with the final agreement. “It was very important to me, and Dr.
Holland, in talking to potential licensees that they were fully committed to
investing the resources in further development. This is groundbreaking
technology and we wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t just get shelved in an R&D
lab somewhere.” said Kahn - “Lab21 is the best partner to utilize this
technology in creating an HCV diagnostic solution.”
In conclusion, Dr. Carol Holland said: “I am very pleased to have made this
agreement with Lab21. The company is committed to providing the most innovative
solutions in the marketplace. I am looking forward to working closely with Lab
21 to further the development of the HCV technology in the hope that it will
ultimately aid in saving lives.”
The details and terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
www.lab-21.com
| |
|
