Patent holders are wasting their resources when they ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for an en banc rehearing on diagnostic claims that have been declared ineligible because they cite a law of nature.

LONDON – Monitoring low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) fails to identify those who are at the highest risk for heart attack or death, according to a new study that used alternative biomarkers to assess the risk of further events.

The ultimate vision is pretty fantastical: A variety of synthetically engineered bacteria working together to diagnose – and even secrete proteins to treat – various inflammatory conditions or other immune-associated diseases. But researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School have taken another step along the path toward that goal.