IP & Technology Blog

Supercharged at BioCity ScotlandPosted on May 05, 2015 by Dr. Julie Nixon  | Tags: innovation, collaboration, pharma, BioCity, research  | 0 CommentsBy Julie NixonLiina and I were fortunate to be able to attend day 1 of “Supercharging the Innovation Engine” at BioCity Scotland, a two day conference bringing together academics, big pharma and life science companies amongst others. A prestigious line up of speakers was brought together for the event, and here I report back on some highlights.After an introduction from Dr Diane Harbison, MD at BioCity Scotland, Professor Roy Sandbach addressed a packed lecture theatre. Roy is currently the Chair...

Genomes, IP and Ethics: The 100,000 Genomes ProjectPosted on Mar 30, 2015 by Dr. Julie Nixon  | Tags: Genomes, cancer, IP, ethics, privacy  | 0 CommentsBy Julie NixonThe 100,000 Genomes Project is aiming to revolutionise medicine and place the UK as a world leader in genetic research. But while the prospect of allowing biomedical companies access to the data generated from the project could bring major health advances and economic impact, there is a potential risk that patients may be identified from the data they provide by participating in the project.The ProjectThe Human Genome Project, completed in 2003, took a decade...

Mistakes companies make regarding their IP-and how to avoid themPosted on Mar 02, 2015 by Dr. Julie Nixon  | Tags: Intellectual Property, Due Diligence, IP audit, spin-out, start-up  | 0 CommentsBy Julie NixonBeing part of a tech start up or a spin out is challenging, and among the many issues entrepreneurs have to consider are meeting milestones, recruiting the right team and sourcing funding.  A company also needs to manage its intellectual property, establishing what assets can be used to generate revenue through licensing or IP transfers, and boost the value of the company for the purposes of fund raising.  Here...

“Three-person embryo” law passedPosted on Feb 09, 2015 by Dr. Julie Nixon  | Tags: Mitochondria, genetics, ethics  | 0 CommentsLast week MPs voted in favour of making the UK the first country in the world to permit IVF embryos to be created using DNA from three different people to help prevent mitochondrial diseases . A majority in the the House of Commons voted to approve an amendment to the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act which will allow a mother’s mitochondrial DNA to be replaced by  third party donor mitochondrial DNA . This in spite of some critics warning it was...

Strategies for Stratified Medicine: A Rosy Outlook for Scotland’s Wealth & HealthPosted on Oct 03, 2012 by Dr. Julie Nixon  | 0 CommentsThis blogger attended an excellent event earlier this week at Edinburgh’s BioQuarter for their inaugural networking event. A distinguished panel of scientists led the discussion on personalised/stratified medicine.Inherited genetic differences affect the body’s response to medication. Some drugs may cause side effects in one individual but not in another. Stratified medicine means looking at the genetic makeup of large groups in the population, then from this information scientists hope to be able to predict which drugs are likely to...