Chiron, United Biomedical regulatory update

CHIR (Emeryville, Calif.) received the first in an expected series of U.S. patents covering its hepatitis C virus technology.

Patent No. 5,350,671 covers immunodiagnostic tests using antigens encoded by the core region of the HCV genome, which are components of all HCV blood screening tests approved by the FDA. The tests on the U.S. market are sold by CHIR and its joint diagnostic business partner, Ortho Diagnostic Systems Inc., and Abbott Labs, which sells its test under a license from CHIR. ...