Trubion Wins Genentech, Biogen Patent Case

Seattle-based Trubion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRBN]]), the developer of targeted therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, said today it has won a patent dispute against Genentech and Biogen Idec. The dispute centers on targeted therapies designed to block a marker on cells, CD20, which is currently hit by Genentech and Biogen Idec’s rituximab (Rituxan). Trubion, which has developed its own CD-20 blocker, challenged a European patent held by Genentech and were successfully able to revoke it in September 2008. That ruling has now been upheld by a European appeals board, which had the final decision in the matter, Trubion said in a statement.

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.