Ventana Biotech, Inc. (VNTA)

[sam1933]

CURRENT PATENTS GAZETTE VOLUME 12 NUMBER 45 NOVEMBER 2009

NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 45, 06 NOVEMBER 2009

Ventana Biotech has filed
GB200910102 claiming chewing gum
compositions comprising 2-hydroxyoleic
acid and extracts of Hoodia gordonii
with appetite suppressant activity. The
application also names Anders Jenson as
co-assignee. On July 28, 2009, the day
before the UK Intellectual Property Office
published this unusually informative title,
the Swiss company issued a press release
mentioning patents, and hinting that drug
companies such as GSK, Novo Nordisk
and AstraZeneca had expressed interest
in taking licenses. Patents and potential
licensing also featured in Ventana's press
releases over the preceding eight months
announce progress in funding negotiations.
No meaningful reference can be found to
the individual assignee, though there is an
Anders Leonhard Jensen (sic), a Dane,
patenting drug delivery devices, usually
inhalers, sometimes in the context of
smoking cessation, which could offer a
tenuous link with nicotine chewing gums.
Cognis Deutschland filed a cluster of
four applications in September 2006
claiming chewing gum containing fatty
acids and Hoodia extract, now published
as WO2008028584, etc.

GLTU
sam