Wednesday 18 February 2009

Finding and using patents for a bibliographical search

Patents are a valuable source of scientific information as well as business intelligence. In the case of the pharmaceutical industry, they provide early insights in a company's research programs and potential drug candidates. However, data contained in patents is often partial, biased and lacks the general objectiveness and perspective of peer-reviewed articles.
This laid the ground for Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, which proposes critical reviews and analyses of patents (and articles) claiming the discovery of therapeutic compounds.

While authors have no problem at all compiling articles and data from the scientific literature, searching for patents often proves a hurdle. Here is an attempt at helping. A selection of databases and interfaces are briefly described.

Very much like for conventional scientific literature, several web-based interfaces propose search functionalities and access to patent databases. They are available to anyone and there is no need to be an IP professional to understand them. They may be free or require subscription. Search engines vary and it is recommended to read the instructions. However, they usually are obvious and easy enough to use, being not that different from Pubmed or Web of Science for example.
As ever, the selection of keywords is key to a successful search. Try several related or synonymous keywords. Also check if the search engine supports wildcard or truncated searches. The wildcard characters usually are *, ? and #. Boolean combinations and restricting searches to titles or abstracts can be necessary when a search returns too many irrelevant results.
In medicinal chemistry, searching for the molecular target is probably the best bet.

Researchers with access to SciFinder, Thomson Patents or Delphion for example will find these resources useful. Others can try:
  • European Patent Office, which contains applications from most countries. You can save searches and save most original PDF files through the 'Save Full Document' link in the 'Original Document' tab.
  • US Patent and Trademark Office, for US patents (an image can be downloaded)
  • World Intellectual Property Organization proposes international patents applications. PDF and zipped TIFF images can be downloaded.
  • Free Patents Online, for US, EU and some Japanese patents, as well as documents from the WIPO database. Powerful search engine (including a chemical search option) and access to the PDF files upon free registration.
  • Google Patents, PDF available.
Patents filed in some countries, such as New Zealand and South Korea, are only accessible via their national patent offices (cf. links). However, chances are that these patents are also filed as WIPO patents.

I hope this demystifies patent searches.

Monday 16 February 2009

Profile: Dr Micheal A. Morse

Dr Morse is a regular and invaluable contributor to Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, having joined the Editorial Board in 2000 and accepting the position of Editor-in-Chief in 2007. He is currently Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University, and is a G.I. Oncologist at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, where his clinical expertise lies in the treatment of gastrointestinal and hepatic malignancies, and malignant melanoma.

Dr Morse’s research focuses on developing strategies to activate T cell responses against tumors by immunizing patients with dendritic cell based vaccines. His group has continued to develop modifications to these vaccines, including loading with antigen in the form of peptides, mRNA, viral vectors and maturing dendritic cells with cytokines. Most recently, they have focused on genetically altering the expression of co-stimulatory and adhesion molecules, and have also identified preliminary data which suggests that it may be important to activate antibody responses as well as T cells in order to initiate immune-mediated destruction of tumors. The group is also working on other methods of modulating immune response, including anti-CTLA4 antibodies and strategies that interfere with inhibitory molecules such as PDL1. Further areas of research include other anti-cancer therapies to weaken the tumor’s ability to impair immune response, including combinations of cancer vaccines along with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies.

Dr Morse has contributed many papers to Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy during his time on the Editorial Board, including his recent papers listed below:

Countering tumor-induced immunosupression during immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer
Michael A Morse Joseph Robert Hall, Janet MD Plate
Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, Mar 2009, Vol. 9, No. 3, Pages 331-339.

Update on anti-CTLA-4 antibodies in clinical trials
Lee F Langer, Timothy M Clay, Michael A Morse
Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, Aug 2007, Vol. 7, No. 8, Pages 1245-1256.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and immunosupression in cancer: current knowledge and potential for new therapy
Benjamin F Johnson, Timothy M Clay, Amy C Hobeika, H Kim Lyerly, Michael A Morse
Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, Apr 2007, Vol. 7, No. 4, Pages 449-460.

Friday 13 February 2009

In vitro evaluation of immunotoxicity

Recommended in 2000 by EMEA's Committee of Proprietary Medicinal Products,the in vitro assessment of immunotoxic risk for drug candidates is an integral part of preclinical safety screenings. Indeed, immunosuppression, immunostimulation, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity are adverse effects that can be elicited by (bio)pharmaceuticals.
A number of assays, available from CROs and reagent companies, can be used to test the effects of drugs, whether intended or not, on the various players of cell-mediated immunity. In a technical article to be published in the April issue of Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, Dr Maria Fuggetta critically reviews a selection of these assays and suggests how enhanced methodologies can improve the identification of immunological hazard.