Nanosphere, Inc., a nanotechnology-based molecular diagnostics company, today announced that a study of micro- and nanotechnology patent portfolios has ranked the company second overall in terms of pipeline power. The report, prepared by intellectual property consulting firm 1790 Analytics LLC and published in the July/August 2005 issue of Small Times, evaluates companies' portfolio strength based not only on number of patents issued, but also such factors as pipeline growth and originality.
Only Hewlett-Packard was ranked higher than Nanosphere, indicating the exceptional quality of Nanosphere's intellectual property. Combined with the company's experienced management team and pressing market demand for more sensitive, easy-to-use molecular diagnostics technology, Nanosphere's patent portfolio clearly differentiates it from other venture-backed life sciences companies.
Enabled by proprietary nanoparticle technology, Nanosphere is commercializing its first product, the Verigene(R) System, to allow the simultaneous ultra-sensitive detection of nucleic acids and proteins. It is designed for use by researchers, clinicians and first responders in any lab setting or in the field. The unmatched sensitivity of the company's technology can lead to earlier detection of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease and the development of new diagnostic tests for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. The technology is also broadly applicable in pharmacogenomics, biohazard detection and food safety analysis.
Nanosphere holds 34 U.S. patents, 16 of which were issued in 2004, and five international patents; it has more than 100 patent applications pending. The company has licensed exclusive rights from Northwestern University to existing inventions and certain technology developments in the area of nanoparticle probes for use in molecular diagnostics.
William Moffitt, president and chief executive officer of Nanosphere, said: "We're focused on fundamentally altering the way molecular diagnostic testing is performed and to do that, we've made substantial investments in R&D and scientific talent. Those investments have resulted in extraordinarily strong IP holdings for the company and put us in a powerful position to advance detection of disease-associated proteins and nucleic acids."
The 1790 Analytics study considered five indicators, and then arrived at rankings of overall pipeline power. It looked at the number of U.S. patents issued in 2004 related to micro- and nanotechnology; pipeline growth; impact, as measured by how frequently patents are cited by later patents; generality, or how useful a patent is among different fields; and originality.
|
