[Pharm-policy] Patent on Business method for managing genomic technologies

[love@cptech.org]

Recently there has been a lot of publicity over "business methods"
patents that relate to software and ecommerce.  Here is one that
involves genomics.   The description is by Cytogenix.  Note that it
includes such stuff as the "enabling a pharmacist to respond to a
physician prescription and compound the prescription" and the "ability
to deliver, assess and document the patient's understanding of an
informed consent process."    Jamie

-----------
    "The present invention relates to a system and method for managing
and supporting the construction and delivery of genomically derived
substances for pharmaceutical applications. These substances include
sequences of nucleotides and nucleic acid substances, which may be
combined with other chemicals using pharmaceutical compounding in
response to physicians' prescriptions for delivery to an individual.

    "The system further involves identifying an individual patient's
genomic characteristics used to optimize selection of the
pharmacogenomic substances to be included in a given prescription,
selecting parameters from appropriate databases required to produce a
given pharmacogenomic substance which can provide therapeutic or
diagnostic benefit to an individual patient together with means for
effectively delivering it and facilitating uptake in affected tissues
and/or cells, generating the required pharmacogenomic substance together
with effective application or delivery means in appropriate amounts,
enabling a pharmacist to respond to a physician prescription and
compound the prescription and recording the details of the transaction."

    An additional integral part of the system is the ability to deliver,
assess and document the patient's understanding of an informed consent
process critical to innovative healthcare.

----------

  More here:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/prn/texas/921834

May 25, 2001, 3:05PM

(BW) Cytogenix Files Patent Application For Novel Business Structure 
Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers 
(c) 2001 Business Wire. 

    HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 25, 2001--CytoGenix Inc. (CYGX) will
announce today at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders that a patent is
being drafted in preparation for filing for a novel business structure
for providing and managing the Oligonucleotide-Mediated Intervention
Therapies currently under development by the company.

    CytoGenix is a Houston-based biotechnology research and development
company with proprietary technology for the intracellular expression of
sequence specific single strands of DNA for purposes of intervening in
the production of disease causing proteins.

    CytoGenix President and CEO Malcolm Skolnick, PhD, JD, explains,
"The increasing understanding of genetics, molecular biology and the
genomic basis of disease promises important new approaches to
interrupting the disease process and achieving preventative and curative
techniques which will markedly extend medicine's ability to protect and
preserve an individual's health and welfare. To accomplish this, it will
be necessary to construct interfaces between the scientific knowledge
about individual diseases, the genomic bases of the disease process, the
interventive genomic technology which can disrupt or prevent the disease
process, the relationship of an individual's genomic information and the
interventive technology, the technology needed to generate the
appropriate genomic therapeutic or diagnostic modality required, and the
essential human participation to utilize the appropriate scientific and
technological information, compound the determined medication and
provide it to the patient.

    "The present invention relates to a system and method for managing
and supporting the construction and delivery of genomically derived
substances for pharmaceutical applications. These substances include
sequences of nucleotides and nucleic acid substances, which may be
combined with other chemicals using pharmaceutical compounding in
response to physicians' prescriptions for delivery to an individual.

    "The system further involves identifying an individual patient's
genomic characteristics used to optimize selection of the
pharmacogenomic substances to be included in a given prescription,
selecting parameters from appropriate databases required to produce a
given pharmacogenomic substance which can provide therapeutic or
diagnostic benefit to an individual patient together with means for
effectively delivering it and facilitating uptake in affected tissues
and/or cells, generating the required pharmacogenomic substance together
with effective application or delivery means in appropriate amounts,
enabling a pharmacist to respond to a physician prescription and
compound the prescription and recording the details of the transaction."

    An additional integral part of the system is the ability to deliver,
assess and document the patient's understanding of an informed consent
process critical to innovative healthcare.

    CytoGenix cleared SEC comments on March 29, 2001 and is now waiting
for the NASD to complete their review of the application filed on April
2, 2001 to be relisted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board.

    SAFE HARBOR: Except for statements of historical fact, the
statements in this press release are forward-looking. Such statements
are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These
factors include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions,
risks associated with the acceptance of new products, competition and
other factors more fully detailed in the company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Additional information about CytoGenix and its technology can be
found on the Web site at www.cytogenix.com or call Dell Gibson at
281/988-6118, Investor Relations/Corporate Communications.



    --30--MJB/ho*

    CONTACT: CytoGenix, Houston
             Dell Gibson, 281/988-6118
             www.cytogenix.com

    KEYWORD: TEXAS
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY MEDICAL MEDICAL DEVICES 
PHARMACEUTICAL