You can get more thorough answers at mycogen.com but, for what it's worth, here's my understanding.
The trial results mean that MYCO doesn't have a lock on the Bt technologies. I think MYCO can still use them, but they will have competition. They may still have a lock on CERTAIN aspects; but I'm sure their competitors also have specific Bt patents.
Carl Eibl:
"The verdict does not create a proprietary position for Monsanto, DeKalb, or Delta and Pine Land, and thus does not affect Mycogen's ability to continue developing and commercializing Bt insect-resistance traits through our retail seed businesses or licensing those traits to other companies."
They do hold a significant number of other patents including specific Bt genes. They also have filed motions to set aside the verdicts, but I don't place a lot of hope in these.
Positives: the biggest legal fees supposedly are behind them now, and they "should" turn a profit this year. (Of course, this winter's weather may have some say in this?????) They also have recently licensed some interesting stuff from Washington U. regarding plant-based vaccines for human and animal health --- presumably applications are a long way off --- and sublicensed the human health part of it to Axis Genetics, a British company. Axis hopes to have compound(s?) in the clinic in Y 2000.
Hope this helps.
Peter
P.S. I gotta get the name of this thread changed, it's embarrassing. MYCO was around 24 when I started it. |
