Endpoints News: Bristol Myers Squibb sues Novartis for royalties surrounding the use of transgenic mice

Two Big Pharma companies are going to the mat over genetically modified mice in a licensing dispute.

Bristol Myers Squibb is suing Novartis in New York over a dispute concerning an evaluation, research and commercialization agreement stretching back to the late ’90s initially inked between Novartis and BMS’ predecessor Medarex. The deal in question allowed Novartis to use Medarex’s patented transgenic mice to develop therapeutic drugs. Novartis agreed to pay Medarex – and subsequently BMS – a royalty on sales of drugs it developed using the mice.

The agreement between the two parties, according to the lawsuit, contains an arbitration clause stating that “the arbitrators shall determine what discovery will be permitted, based on the principle of limiting the cost and time which the parties must expend on discovery.”

...Transgenic mice are ones that have had DNA from another source put into their DNA. They’re often used in lab studies, and have been behind many approved drugs. Joseph Bryant, adjunct professor at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine told Endpoints News that developers are likely watching this case, as it’s a complicated process.

Read the full story