|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Friday, March 14, 2003Tiny Tanox Inc. should be on the verge of triumph. A drug it developed made headlines this week when it was shown to blunt peanut allergies, protecting people who could die after eating even part of a peanut. But the drug is at the center of one of the toughest disputes in biotechnology, a decade-long battle with charges of stolen trade secrets and secret deals. The fight may delay the drug's introduction, and the company — and the husband-and-wife scientists who started it — may receive only a small share of the financial benefits. Tanox, which is based in Houston, is part of a partnership with two bigger drug companies, Genentech and Novartis. For 10 years, Tanox has been involved in lawsuits and arbitrations with one or both partners, starting with its accusation that Genentech, the biotechnology industry's pioneer company, essentially stole Tanox's idea. Tanox has also been involved in litigation with its own lawyers over an agreement that would allow the lawyers to obtain a substantial portion of the Tanox proceeds from its partnership. The drug was developed by a husband and wife team who worked on it in their garage. They subsequently divorced, but that isn't the source of the litigation. Everyone involved seems to have done some double-crossing at one point or another. And everyone, of course, wants the greatest share of the profits. How many drugs do you suppose are kept off the shelves in this country because of litigation? It would be interesting to find out. posted by Sydney on 3/14/2003 08:07:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
