EPO trims PER.C6 patent

Crucell (Euronext:CRXL; NASDAQ:CRXL) confirmed that the European Patent Office's Opposition Division amended one of the claims of a patent covering the company's PER.C6 technology. But Crucell spokesperson Barbara Mulder told BioCentury that the change "only covers a specific part of one of our claims, does not restrict the scope of the patent, and will not restrict our business opportunities at all."

EPO's Opposition Division examined the claims of Crucell's EP1161548 patent at the behest of Cevec (Cologne, Germany). The two companies have been entangled in legal disputes relating to PER.C6 since 2004, when Crucell first sued Cevec for alleged infringement of its then recently granted EP833934 PER.C6 patent. That case was settled out of court after Cevec said it would not allow its N52E6 cell line to be used in a way that infringes the PER.C6 cell line patent. ...