[Ip-health] Lack of transparency of patent landscape for Genentech's Lucentis

[James Love]

Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) is Genentech's prescription medicine
for the treatment of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration
(AMD).  We are interested in the patent landscape on this medicine.
Because the product is a biologic, there is no USFDA orange book entry
that reports the patents on the product.

We asked Genentech which patents if any they claimed protect Lucentis
from competition.  Genentech told us that information was proprietary.

There is something very wrong about a system where the patent owner does
not even have to disclose if he is asserting patent protection for a
prescription medicine.


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Begin forwarded message:

From: Krysta Pellegrino <pellegrino.krysta@gene.com>
Date: February 7, 2008 6:55:01 PM EST
To: David Serafino <david.serafino@keionline.org>
Cc: Krysta Pellegrino <Pellegrino.Krysta@gene.com>
Subject: Re: Patent question

Hi David,

Genentech considers such patent information proprietary, and as such we
don't disclose it.

Sorry I can't be more helpful on this one.

Krysta


On Feb 7, 2008, at 3:11 PM, David Serafino wrote:

Hi Krysta,

Actually, i was hoping to get the patents covering the entire product,
including manufacturing processes, composition, and the like.  please
let me know if there is a way i could get that data.

 Thanks!

 Dave

On Feb 7, 2008, at 5:52 PM, Krysta Pellegrino wrote:

Hi David,

As a follow-up to our conversation this morning, we are not able to
provide a specific patent number for a specific product as each product
is covered by number of patents, including methods of making,
composition, et cetera.   Please let me know if I can provide any
additional information regarding Lucentis for your story.

Thank you.
Krysta

Krysta Pellegrino
Genentech, Inc.
Corporate Relations
650-225-8226
krysta@gene.com




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James Love, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
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