Published Sept. 2 (WO) and Sept. 3 (EPO)

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 comprise the European 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.

American Cyanamid Co. Receptor tyrosine WO 92/14748Stamford, Conn. kinase geneDNA sequence encodes receptor TK, binding specifically tovascular endothelial growth factor.

Behringwerke AG Fusion proteins for EPO 501 215Marburg, Germany prodrug activationFusion protein links tumor-specific monoclonal to beta-glucuronidase,delivers prodrug to tumor.

Calgene Inc. Seed-plant fatty-acid WO 92/14816Davis, Calif. reductaseSeed-plant reductase proteins, DNA and amino-acid sequences,notably from jojoba embryos.

California, Univ. of Recombinant thrombin WO 92/14750Berkeley, Calif. receptorDNA sequence encoding cell-surface thrombin receptor, fordiagnosis, therapy and research.

Carl-Biotech Ltd. Peptides for treating WO 92/14751Copenhagen, Denmark herpes infectionsArray of peptides, with varying amino-acid moieties, activeagainst herpes virus infections.

Chugai Pharm. Co. Human nerve-cell WO 92/14820Tokyo, Japan adhesion factorDNA encodes neuronal adhesion factors with, withoutmembrane-perforating site.

Ciba-Geigy AG Improved yeast vectors EPO 501 914Basel, SwitzerlandHybrid vectors based on yeast 2-micron plasmid for large-scalebatch, continuous culture.

Ciba-Geigy AG Manipulation of EPO 501 921Basel, Switzerland myxobacteriaExtends recombinant-DNA technology to genetic manipulationof myxobacteria.

Du Pont de Nemours, Vector for bacterio- WO 92/14819E.I., Wilmington, Del. phage cloningPositive selection casettes contain lethal gene, suppressible byinserted foreign sequence.

Eli Lilly & Co. Human cytosolic EPO 501 779Indianapolis phospholipaseAntibodies selectively bind human cytosolic phospholipase A2,detect enzyme in body fluids.

Farmitalia Carlo Erba Synthesis of leech EPO 501 821Milan, Italy anti-coagulantDNA sequences, expression vectors, host cells to produce leechanti-thrombin agent.

Florida, Univ. of Invertebrate-virus WO 92/14818Gainesville, Fla. expression systemEntomopoxvirus polynucleotide free-standing sequences, insect,mammalian vectors, host cells.

I.N.S.E.R.M. Human promyelocyte WO 92/14815Paris, France cell linesImmortalized acute promyelocytic leukemia cell lines, toscreencell-maturation induction.

Imperial Cancer Res. Metabolism-pathway WO 92/14817Tech., London assays in vivoCellular organism embodying polypeptide that alters compoundof interestLs metabolism.

Imperial Chemical Production of Ricin EPO 501 692Ind. (ICI), London A polypeptideFermentation process for preparing soluble polypeptides suchas ricin A.

Mass. Inst. of Tech. Neuroepithelial- WO 92/14821Cambridge, Mass. tumor indicatorGene encoding nestin, a protein whose expression aids brain-tumor diagnosis, treatment.

Miles Inc. Antibodies to T cell EPO 501 233Pittsburgh proliferationMonoclonals immunologically reactive with CD4 inhibit OKT3-induced T cell proliferation.

Mycogen Corp. Bt gene encodes EPO 501 650San Diego crop-pest toxinGenes from novel Bacillus thuringiensis isolate encode toxinsagainst coleopteran pests.

Repligen Corp. Poliovirus-based WO 92/14489Cambridge, Mass. vaccinesTransformed, hybrid poliovirus elicits antibodies to alienepitope, amplifies titer fivefold.

Saskatchewan, Univ. Primitive-cell WO 92/14752of Saskatoon, Canada CSF vectorsFactors from bone-marrow cells, antibodies to their epitopes, totreat blood disorders.

Stanford Univ. Chondrocyte-stim- WO 92/14749Palo Alto, Calif. ulating factor (C-S F)Thyroid-derived C-S F to culture chondrocytes, fibroblasts forjoint therapy, bone repair.

Takeda Chemical Ind. Expressing D-ribose EPO 501 765Osaka, Japan in Bacillus hostDNA sequence, vector, Bacillus host organism, operon promoter,express D-ribose in quantity.

UAB Research Fdn. Structural pneumo- WO 92/14488Birmingham, Ala. coccal protein geneExpression of purified, truncated form of immunoprotectivepneumococcal surface protein.H Compiled by David N. Leff

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