Published Sept. 23 (EPO) and Sept. 17 (WO )

BioWorldLs weekly European patent preview lists inalphabetical order by assignee, and briefly summarizes, allsalient biotechnology patent applications as they are madepublic in Europe.

European patent offices publish full texts of patent applicationsworldwide within six months of their filing, and months toyears before the corresponding U.S. patent issues.

Two organizations, with Great Britain (GB) comprise theEuropean system:

-- The European Patent Office (EPO) covers the dozen membercountries of the European Economic Community.

-- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WO) serves alarger number of countries around the world.

Bradbury, Andrew Selection of WO 92/15702London useful moleculesScreen protein library with microorganism expressing selectorprotein on its surface; detect with antibody.

Cambridge Biotech Corp. Feline immuno- WO 92/15684Worcester, Mass. deficiency virusFeline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antigens, envelopeproteins, for vaccine, diagnosis, treatment of FIV infection incats.

Drover, Sheila Detection of HLA WO 92/15698St. Johns, Newfnd. determinantsSet of murine monoclonal antibodies react with epitopes on DR4molecule, recognize HLA polymorphic determinants.

Eli Lilly & Co. Methicillin- EPO 505 151Indianapolis resistance assayGene encoding penicillin binding protein from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain; assay for agents againstsuch strains.

Hagiwara Plasmid shuttle WO 92/15692Hiyogo, Japan vectorExpression vector contains regions of plasmids derived fromAnacystis nidulans and colicin; can replicate in E. coli,cyanobacteria.

Hoffman-La Roche, F. Amplifying nucleic EPO 505 012Basel, Switzerland acidsMeans for exponentially amplifying specific nucleic acidsequence(s), with primers complementary to separatedstrands.

Imperial Chemical.(ICI) Inducible selection GB 2 253 852London genesVectors incorporating heterologous polypeptides compriseselection gene expressed only under defined conditions.

Imperial Chemical (ICI) Mirabilis biocidal WO 92/15691London proteinsDNA encoding biocidal protein from Mirabilis yields antifungal,antibacterial agents;.transforms plants for disease-resistance.

Japan Tobacco Inc. Mirabilis anti- EPO 504 919Tokyo viral proteinGene for antiviral protein isolated from Mirabilis jalapasubstitutes serine for cysteine codons, and is integrated insecretion vector.

Japan Tobacco Inc. Virus-resistant EPO 504 869Tokyo tomatoTomato transformed by Agribacterium tumefaciens expressingcDNA of a satellite RNA of cucumber mosaic virus, resists CMVinfection.

Ks Biomedix Ltd. Humanized WO 92/15699London monoclonalsHumanized monoclonal with variable region from human Ig,constant region from sheep, which has higher affinity than arodent.

Minnesota, University of DNA sequence- WO 92/15711Minneapolis based HLA typingPCR amplification, of DNA or RNA, direct sequencing, reversetranscription combine to "unambiguously determine HLAgenotype in 16-24 hours."

Nickerson Biochem Ltd. Anti-nematode WO 92/15690Cambridge, U.K. transgenic plantsGene construct encoding trypsin inhibitor from Vignaunguiculata (cowpea) expressed in plants confers nematoderesistance.

Novo Nordisk Recombinant EPO 505 311Bagsvaard, Denmark heme proteinsHeterologous heme proteins expressed extracellularly infilamentous fungi by vector incorporating structural andsecretory genes.

Rhone-Poulenc Agrochimie Fungal-rot- WO 92/15685Lyon, France resistant plantsCrop plants transduced with DNA sequence encoding an oxalateoxidase resist fungal rot produced by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum..

Salk Institute Mammalian gene WO 92/15694La Jolla, Calif. modificationGene activation/deactivation integration system formammalian cells may activate or inactivate transgenes fortherapy, research.

Texas, University of Antisense-blocked WO 92/15680Austin, Texas expressionSelective inhibition of gene expression by antisense RNAtechnology, using antisense intron DNA, typically to down-regulate tumor growth.

Virogenetics Corp. Attenuated WO 92/15672Troy, N.Y. recombinant virusVaccinia virus, with safety enhanced by inactivating non-essential genetic functions, by deletion of DNA sequencesencoding virulence factors.

Vito Metal-detecting WO 92/15687Mol, Belgium fused genesFused genes containing promoter sequences of gene encodingresistance to specific metals, or catabolism of xenobioticcompounds.

Wellcome Found. Recombinant-protein WO92/15688, 9London productionAttenuated bacteria maintained anaerobically expressheterologous protein under control of promoter induced byanaerobic conditions. Can be used as vaccine

Wellcome Found. Chimeric enzyme WO 92/15693London to treat AIDSPharmaceutical formulations of molecular chimeras andinfective virions for virus-directed prodrug therapy intreatment of HIV.

Zymogenetics, Inc. Inhibition of WO 92/15686Seattle Factor VIICatalytic active site of Factor VII modified to interrupt bloodcoagulation cascade, "to treat a variety of coagulation-relateddisorders."

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.