Singapore: Australian drug company Agenix received a key patent covering the manufacturing process of its ThromboView imaging agent for the detection of blood clots in humans from the Japan's patent office.

Mr Nicholas Weston, chairman and CEO, Agenix, said that, "The granting of patent protection in Japan confers further certainty and significantly increases the commercial value of the ThromboView diagnostic technology globally. In conjunction with the other patents covering the use and production of ThromboView, this new patent delivers a major commercial advantage to Agenix in one of the world's leading markets for diagnostic imaging and manufacturing."

Japanese Patent Application Number 2003-507139 covers humanized antibodies derived from DD-3B6/22 specific for the D-dimer fragment of fibrin and provides long-term protection for the company's technology through broad claims over methods of manufacture and use.

ThromboView is now protected by multiple patents in the Japan, the US, Europe, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand and its patents are pending in China and Canada. The patents provide protection for ThromboView until 2022 with possible Hatch-Waxman term extension until 2027.

Legislation in the EU, US and Japan grant biologics a period of 10, 12 and six years of data exclusivity, respectively, from the time of registration and this is likely to considerable enhance ThromboView's protection in these markets.