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Biotech / Medical : Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGSI)
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To: David Bogdanoff who wrote (62)2/28/1997 3:42:00 PM
From: Boyce Burge   of 1127
 
The ESTs are just the partial sequences of genes that everyone makes from mRNA copies. It would take too long to get the complete gene sequence, so thats left for later, or for the more important genes. Its almost impossible to trace the commercial development from the Merck-WashU database, since the info is freely available, and we dont know whos using it until patents are published.

If a company is working on genes involved in say G-protein signaling, they look in the Wash U EST database...if they find something that looks like a G-protein they could clone the gene themselves, and try to patent it (actually you have to patent a theraputic or diagnostic application...not the gene per se). If HGSI has beat them to it, that's fine, But at the very least the 2 patent applications will be slightly different and could be contested in court, even if one predates the other.

There are so many ESTs with unknown function that its anyones guess who will figure them out first and find a disease connection... its sort of like a lot of kids reaching in the bag and pulling out as many pieces of candy as they can. Only later do they find out who got the best stuff. But HGSI has a bigger fist and grabbed first, so they probably will come out alright. But the bag is still very full.

I hope I made that clear?
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