patent law 41 Hunting for innovations
From its head office on Surrey University’s research park in Guildford, a team of experts hunts for clever innovations that it can commercially exploit.
Angle plc is digging out ideas and know-how from universities and companies and polishing them up for successful commercial exploitation.
Angle’s formula means useful and valuable products are reaching consumers, rather than struggling to get out of the laboratory. The inventors get their share of the rewards and can carry on researching and developing other new products and technologies.
Most recently, Angle has become a commercially driven specialist medical diagnostics company with pioneering products in cancer diagnostics and foetal health.
Angle’s lead product is the
Parsortix cell separation device, which can capture very rare circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in cancer patient blood – even when there is less than one CTC in one billion healthy cells. The resulting liquid biopsy (simple blood test) enables the investigation of mutations in the patient’s cancer for personalised cancer care.
Angle has launched a product for the research market and has secured CE Mark regulatory approval for the clinical market in Europe. FDA approval is targeted for 2014.
Technologies that Angle has brought out of the laboratory and into – or heading towards – the marketplace in the past include:
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• Novocellus: a test for use in IVF treatment, to allow clinical embryologists to test embryo viability before transfer back to the
mother. The technology was developed at the University of York.
• Geomerics: a patented system of geometric algebra, developed at Cambridge University, that makes computer games faster and more realistic.
• Provexis: a range of natural foods and drinks, including the fruit juice Sirco with a patented bioactive extract of tomato that reduces the risk of thrombosis, heart attack and stroke. Orginally developed at the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen.
• Acolyte Biomedica: a diagnostic test, BacLite, initially developed at the former government research laboratory at Porton Down, that can confirm MRSA infection much more rapidly, allowing early and effective treatment.
• Synature: a new approach to target marketing and consumer profiling, based on psychological profiling techniques online, for increased profitability and customer loyalty. Developed by a team in Cambridge.
• Aberro: a computer software tool, developed by Dr Bill Rogers of the University of Texas, that automates software testing, increases productivity and accelerates the speed at which new products can be brought to market.
Angle’s business is described as ‘IP-centric’ – that is to say, it revolves around intellectual property, wherever it originates from, rather than being based on developing the company’s own technology.
It’s an unusual model, but one that works well. The growth in Angle’s capital value comes
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Protecting innovation
Our intellectual property attorneys don’t just file patents and trade marks – they work proactively with innovative businesses nationally and internationally to identify IP assets and provide strategic advice to achieve full commercial value. We act for all types of clients: spin-outs, start-ups, SMEs, major corporations, leading academic institutions, science parks, and more.
Find out how we can help protect your innovation – contact Duncan White on 01865 397900 or visit
www.marks-clerk.com
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JULY/AUGUST 2014
www.businessmag.co.uk
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