Geron, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) gene/cell therapy news

Geron said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Board of Appeals and Interferences reversed a 2008 decision from the PTO re-examination division that upheld the claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,029,913. Geron said this is not a final rejection of the patent claims and WARF will have the opportunity to present the claims for further examination. The '913 patent covers development of a replicating in vitro cell culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) derived from a pre-implantation embryo. The '913 patent - along with U.S. Patent Nos. 5,843,780 and 6,200,806, which cover a method for deriving and culturing primate embryonic stem cells and hESCs, respectively - are assigned to WARF and were licensed to Geron in 2002. ...