Biogen N.V. said the U.S. Patent and...

Biogen N.V. said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the company a patent covering the manufacture of all hepatitis B surface and core antigens produced by genetic engineering techniques. The recombinant antigens produced by these processes are necessary in manufacturing recombinant hepatitis B vaccines and diagnostic kits for detecting hepatitis B infection. This patent grants Biogen the right to exclude companies from manufacturing or marketing hepatitis B vaccines and diagnostics produced in the United States by recombinant DNA technology.