In reference to the patent: US9005603
How long will Mayo Clinic "own" this naturally occurring Microbe? I want my mother to be able to benefit from this, however, the Mayo Clinic has had it patented since 2009. I want to know how long I need to tell my mother she must wait in pain and complications until she can benefit from this NATURALLY occurring microbe.
How long, please?
The priority date of this patent is Oct. 30, 2009. The expiration date is 20 years from this date or Oct. 30, 2029. I checked on the US Public Pair site and there is no patent term adjustments.
As for the patent itself, what is covered is described in the claims. There is only one independent claim.
- A composition comprising live Prevotella histicola, dead Prevotella histicola, or a culture supernatant of a Prevotella histicola culture, wherein said composition is in the form of a pill, a tablet, or a capsule.
However, it is a continuation of US8617536. That patent's first claim is as follows.
- A method for treating an autoimmune condition in a mammal, wherein said method comprises oral administration of a composition comprising live isolated Prevotella histicola or a culture supernatant of a Prevotella histicola culture to said mammal, wherein said autoimmune condition is multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, and wherein the severity of said autoimmune condition is reduced.
Just because Mayo has a patent, doesn't mean the treatment is effective or safe or better than other treatments. A patent by itself has no great value for Mayo, so there is a good chance the patent has been licensed to a drug development company to bring to market. Drug development is a long and expensive process so this may take some time.
