I finally got my laptop online to post and wondered if anyone had heard anything about this. This also came from a judge that is a speaker on ethics at the conference we are attending.

He says patents on drugs can be challenged and cases have been won. Of course the drawback, is that companys will fight it and tie it up in court. But university researchers are licensing out(for money) patented property to other researchers. It generates money for the university. I wouldn't expect anything to change with Amgen and GDNF, as they are the "legal Kings" as one drug rep here put it. It was very refreshing to hear this same drug rep advocate for muscular dystrophy treatments.

Don't know if anyone is watching, but Amgen's stock is taking a real downhill slide. They are in trouble over the withholding of some seriously damaging info about one of their drugs and have shaken many of their stockholders' confidence in them.

They might want to tone down the arrogance and pump up the ethics.

Paula