Geron, Advanced Cell settle patent suit

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., Sept. 6 - A settlement has been reached between biopharmaceutical company Geron Corp. and biotechnology company Advanced Cell Technology relating to patent rights involving nuclear transfer cloning in the non-human field.

Geron, based in Menlo Park, Calif., acquired rights to this technology from the Roslin Institute in 1999 and subsequently initiated patent interferences with conflicting patents held by the University of Massachusetts.

The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences of the U.S. Patent Office ruled in favor of Geron on all counts in both interferences, and the university and its licensee, Advanced Cell Technology, filed appeals. Both of those appeals have now been dismissed with prejudice by the university and Advanced Cell Technology.

Under the settlement agreement, Alameda, Calif.-based Advanced Cell retained its rights under the UMass patents in the human field.

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