1. Disinformation from Press Releases? Peter Steele Current Patents Ltd London W1T 4LB peter@current-patents.com www.current-patents.com Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001

2. Background Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 10,000 pharma/biotech press releases analysed each year for Investigational Drugs database (IDdb) 10% with IP implications - four per day Analysis for technical intelligence by skilled analysts

3. Grey Literature Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Formal Journals Patents Technical Reports Meetings Grey Advertisements Newspapers Brochures Broadcasts Analysts’ Briefings Annual Reports Press releases

4. Grey Literature Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Formal Journals (Patents) Technical Reports Meetings Grey Patents Advertisements Newspapers Brochures Broadcasts Analysts’ Briefings Annual Reports Press releases

5. Intelligence = Effort Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Press Releases DOLPHIN (Database of All Pharmaceutical Inventions) One analyst – 3 to 4 days/week

6. Sources - general (1) Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 PR Newswire Business Newswire Canada Newswire Medical, Hospital and Biotech sections Direct email from companies

7. Sources - general (2) Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 CAS Chemical industry news www.cas.org/reuters/chemnews.html Daily industry news, individually profiled www.office.com

8. Sources - general (3) Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Pharmaceutical News & Information www.coreynahman.com Pharmalicensing www.pharmalicensing.com Hoover’s Online www.hoovershbn.hoovers.com Bioresearch Online www.news.bioresearchonline.com

9. Sources - Patent Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 USPTO Official Gazette www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/og UK Official Journal www.patent.gov.uk/patent/notices Australian PO Decisions www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/APO UK Court Judgements www.wood.ccta.gov.uk/courtser/judgements.nsf

10. Country of Origin Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 US235 UK 17 Canada 16 Germany 8 Switzerland 7 Others (NL,FR,IL,JP DK,SE,AT) 17

11. State of Origin Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 CA97 NJ30 MA28 WA14 PA10 NY 9 MD 8 Others (16)40

12. Multinationals’ PRs Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Issuing Party – 30/300 (10%) Second Party – 68/300 (23%) Non-Government – 68/200 (34%)

13. Three or more PRs issued Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Abgenix, Antex Ariad Arqule Coulter Genzyme Incyte Maxygen Myriad SciClone Viragen Vivus XTL

14. Partnerships in Press Releases Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 First (issuing) partywith Second Party etc 67% Company with Company/Institution 33% Company with Government Agency 22% USPTO 11% FDA

15. Technology Types Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 65% Fundamental (“platform”) 35% Product Oriented (69) Preclinical (21) Phase I (16) Phase II (12) Phase III (6) Marketed (14)

16. Details to Cite Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Patent Number - get it right!!! Inventor Names Date and country of origin Identity of Originator – other interests? Name of Product/Technology

17. Case Study (1): Immutech Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 “…….announced today it had been issued US Patent No 6172104B1 entitled “Dicationic dibenzofuran……..” March 26,2001  Actually issued January 9, 2001  Assignee is University of North Carolina  US Government (NIH) retains interest  Originates from joint program with Georgia, Duke & Auburn universities

18. Case Study (2): “Interleukin Genetics… Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 ….announced today that it was awarded Patent No 6210877 for the discovery that certain IL-1 gene variations…received a Notice of Allowance in June 2000”March 29, 2001 US6210877 was not published until April 3, 2001 Published previously as PCT (WO9840517, Sept 1998) June 2000 announcement referring to PCT would have been more helpful!

19. Case Study (3): Roche….. Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 …receives EU approval for Herceptin…..discovered and developed by Genentech……Aug 30, 2000 Protein Design Labs and the US Army hold fundamental patents covering many humanized antibodies Genentech is a non-exclusive licensee of PDL

20. Case Study (4): Abbott… Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 …and Triangle Pharma….results of phase I/II trial in which DAPD… UNC investigators conducting study…. DAPD claimed by Emory University in 1992 Emory has interference & opposition actions with BioChem Pharma

21. Press Releases: Conclusions Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001 Take nothing for granted Expect contradictions Expect old information Expect wrong numbers/dates………

22. “At best, a good press release can be an excellent source of technical intelligence – but that applies to only 10-20% of examples……” Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001

23. “….at worst there can be a lot of skilled effort required to extract and codify that intelligence, and sometimes there is nothing of substance to be said.” Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001

24. Disinformation from Press Releases? Yes, if you’re not careful! Peter Steele Current Patents Ltd, London peter@current-patents.com www.current-patents.com Current Patents Ltd - ACS, San Diego, April 2001