Last checked at 20 Mar 2008 12:22
PROTEOME SCIENCES plc PRESS RELEASE TMT‚® Patent Update
20th March, 2008. The Board of Proteome Sciences is pleased to confirm to shareholders that it holds issued, granted and enforceable patents for its TMT‚® technology in the major global jurisdictions, including the US and Europe.
Before grant in Europe, the European TMT‚® patent went through an extensive examination process and was exposed to anonymous `third party observations' at that time. These were dismissed and the patent went through to full grant and issued on 13th June 2007 (EP 1275004).
The Board has noted that an opposition has been lodged at the European Patent Office based largely on the same grounds that were made prior to grant through `third party observations'. We will be submitting a full, robust and thorough, response to the opposition in the same way as during the `third party observations'.
Proteome Sciences plc and its patent counsel are in the process of reviewing the opposition. Their initial view is that the opposition does not raise any grounds of objection that prejudice the validity of the patent. These actions confirm the importance and value of the TMT‚® isobaric tandem mass tags.
This does not in any way affect the existing status of the TMT‚® patent in Europe which is issued and enforceable and the Board believes that any manufacture or use of products using isobaric tandem mass tags that come under the broad scope of the TMT‚® patent may need licences from Proteome Sciences.
It is not expected that this process will have any impact on the rapid growth and demand for isobaric mass tags technology nor should it have any effect on Proteome Sciences' ability to successfully conclude the outlicencing of TMT‚® reagents in the early part of 2008.
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Contact Proteome Sciences plc at www.proteomics.com
Christopher Pearce, Chief Executive Officer
James Malthouse, Finance Director, Proteome Sciences plc
Dr. Ian Pike, Chief Business Officer, Proteome Sciences plc
Tel: +44 (0)1932 865065
Adrian Shaw, IKON Associates
Tel: +44 (0)1483 535102 / +44 (0)797 9900733
Matt Baldwin, COAST Communications
Tel: +44 (0)1233 503200
Shaun Dobson, Landsbanki Securities (UK) Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)207 426 9582
Gareth Price, Landsbanki Securities (UK) Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)207 426 9081
PROTEOME SCIENCES PLC