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Antibody claims granted by the European Patent Office

Nature Biotechnology volume 32, pages 1094–1098 (2014)Cite this article

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A survey of the claims of antibody-related patents granted by the European Patent Office and a review of the type and scope of product claims granted for antibodies.

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Figure 1: Independent claims of granted EP patents relating to antibodies.
Figure 2: Level of detail in independent claims to antibodies defined by sequence in granted EP patents.

References

  1. 395 European patents were granted in a 12-month period from August 2010 to July 2011 and published with International Patent Classification C07K 16 (Immunoglobulins, e.g., monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies), representing 0.7% of all patents (59,660) granted during that time. 63 patents lacked relevant claims and were excluded. Study data and example claims are from the remaining 332 patents.

  2. Throsby, M. & De Kruif, C. Binding molecules capable of neutralizing West Nile virus and uses thereof. EP1828247 (13 July 2011).

  3. Funaro, A., Gribaudo, G. & Landolfo, S. Antibodies against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). EP2126049 (30 March 2011).

  4. Rinderknecht, E. & Zapata, G. Linear VH-CH1-VH-CH1 heavy chain antibody fragment. EP1752465 (25 May 2011).

  5. Wang, X. et al. Gene engineering recombinant anti-CEA. Anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 single-chain tri-specific antibody. EP1736484 (6 October 2010).

  6. Fukuzawa, H., Yamato, K. & Kajikawa, M. Polypeptide having a delta 5 fatty acid unsaturating activity, polynucleotide coding for the polypeptide and use thereof. EP1780275 (24 November 2010).

  7. Gelber, C. Ovarian cancer cell and myeloma cell surface glycoproteins, antibodies thereto, and uses thereof. EP1204683 (22 June 2011).

  8. Jacquemin, M., Gilles, J. & Saint-Remy, J.-M. Human inhibitory anti-factor VIII antibodies binding to the A2 domain. EP1910420 (18 May 2011).

  9. Shiver, J. et al. Human antibodies interacting with HIV gp41. EP1765398 (13 July 2011).

  10. Heinegard, D., Onnerfjord, P. & Stubendorff, J. Method for determining a tissue degradation process by detection of COMP neoepitopes. EP1766411 (23 February 2011).

  11. Pilkington, G. et al. OVR110 antibody compositions and methods of use. EP1633784 (13 July 2011).

  12. Matsuo, M., Ebinuma, H., Miyazaki, O., Tanaka, K. & Suzuki, A. Anti-human soluble fibrin monoclonal antibody and immunological assay method using the antibody. EP1832654 (27 July 2011).

  13. Salamone, S., Courtney, J. & He, S. Doxorubicin immunoassay. EP1864129 (4 August 2010).

  14. Klemt, V. et al. Method of detecting ProBNP with a monoclonal antibody binding to the amino acids 42–46. EP1625164 (20 July 2011).

  15. Ohashi, T., Miura, T., Igarashi, Y., Sasagawa, K. & Katayama, K. Hybridoma capable of producing a monoclonal antibody specific to tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP 5b). EP1359161 (25 August 2010).

  16. Roschke, V., Rosen, C. & Ruben, S. Human G-protein chemokine receptor (CCR5) HDGNR10. EP1366058 (26 January 2011).

  17. Di Padova, F. et al. IL-17 antagonistic antibodies. EP1776142 (27 July 2011).

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Acknowledgements

The patents referred to in this survey are included purely to illustrate different ways that antibodies have been claimed in patents granted by the EPO. Individual patents were not reviewed in depth, and none of the comments on any of the patents mentioned are intended as either a positive or negative opinion on their validity. Comments in this article are necessarily simplified and should not be taken to be definitive or a substitute for legal advice.

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  1. Hilary van der Hoff is at Mewburn Ellis LLP, Cambridge, UK.,

    Hilary van der Hoff

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Correspondence to Hilary van der Hoff.

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van der Hoff, H. Antibody claims granted by the European Patent Office. Nat Biotechnol 32, 1094–1098 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3054

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