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Brazilian scientists create serum with horse antibodies capable of neutralizing COVID-19

14/08/2020

A serum entirely developed in Brazil showed neutralizing antibodies up to 50 times more potent against Sars-CoV-2 than those present in the blood plasma of people who had COVID-19. The result was considered excellent by the scientists who developed the product and paves the way for a more efficient treatment against the disease. The researchers await authorization from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to begin testing the serum in humans.

Plasma from people who have had COVID is already being used to treat the disease, as a way to offer extra antibodies to patients who are still struggling to fight the virus. The serum principle is similar.

The difference is that it is being produced on horses and, according to the first results, it is much more potent. These antibodies are then purified and can be injected into patients.

“We have to do everything very carefully so as not to create false illusions”, pondered the president of the Rio Research Foundation (Faperj), Jerson Lima Silva, who is a researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and participated in the project. “But the response was impressive, well above our expectations.”

The work will be submitted for publication on Thursday, 13, in a scientific session at the National Academy of Medicine (ANM). On the same occasion, Lima Silva, who is a researcher at UFRJ and participates in the project, will announce the filing of a serum patent.

In May, five horses from the Vital Brazil Institute (IVB) were inoculated with a recombinant S protein from the coronavirus produced at Coppe / UFRJ. After 70 days, the plasmas of four animals showed antibodies 20 to 50 times more potent against COVID-19. The fifth animal also showed antibodies but in a smaller volume.

“We are all thrilled with the result”, said the president of Instituto Vital Brazil, Adilson Stolet. “It was very good, excellent, wonderful.”

According to Lima Silva, one of the reasons for obtaining such a good immune response, both in terms of detected antibodies and its ability to kill the virus, is that scientists used an entire recombinant protein and not just fragments.

The protein S produced at the Cell Culture Engineering Laboratory at Coppe / UFRJ also led to the development of a new serological test for the detection of antibodies to COVID-19.

Serotherapy is a successful treatment, used for decades against diseases such as rabies and tetanus and also for the bites of bees, snakes and other venomous animals, such as spiders and scorpions. Serums produced by IVB have excellent results for clinical use, with no history of hypersensitivity or other possible adverse reactions.

“One of the advantages is precise that we have been using serums for a century, such as anti-phage and anti-tetanus,” said Adilson Stolet. “Not to mention the volume of plasma that can be produced. We have 300 animals, but we can buy another 500; in two months we would have an enormous amount of antibodies.”

As it is a well-known technology, the researchers hope to be able to skip the pre-clinical testing phase and go straight to testing with humans. There is already a partnership signed with the DOr Research and Teaching Institute (IDOR) for testing.

“Even if we do not achieve 100% efficiency, it could be a strategy to also combine this therapy with the vaccine”, concluded Lima Silva.

News from: UOL

notícias
News

The US orders Chinese consulate to close based on defense of intellectual property

29/07/2020

The Chinese consulate in Houston, in the United States, was closed “to protect American intellectual property and private information from Americans” – a State Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday (7/22) after a vigorous protest. Beijing is against that decision.

“Vienna Convention states that state diplomats must ‘respect the laws and rules of the host country’ and ‘have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that state,'” said spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, during a visit by the American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to Copenhagen.

“We have ordered the closure of the People’s Republic of China consulate in Houston to protect American intellectual property and the private information of citizens,” said the spokeswoman, after Pompeo’s arrival in Copenhagen for an official visit on Wednesday.

This decision is based on the growing tensions between the two countries on several fronts: the controversial national security law in Hong Kong, the espionage charges against China, or the humanitarian situation in the Xinjiang region (northwest China), where the Uighur Muslim minority lives.

“The United States will not tolerate any violation of our sovereignty, nor intimidation of our people by China, nor will we tolerate unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other behavior. President Trump insists on justice and reciprocity in our relations with China, “added the spokeswoman in a statement to the press.

China has five consulates in the United States. The consulate in Houston (Texas) was opened in 1979.

According to Houston newspapers, firefighters went to the Chinese consulate last night because documents were being burned in the building’s courtyard.

On Twitter, local police said smoke was visible, but law enforcement officials “were not allowed to enter” the building.

China reaction

Chinese officials denounced the decision, which they called “political provocation” that will undermine bilateral diplomatic relations.

“It is a political provocation (…) that seriously violates international law,” said a Chinese diplomacy spokesman, Wang Wenbin.

“China condemns this scandalous and unjustified decision,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, asking Washington to back down, otherwise Beijing will respond in an “appropriate” manner.

Chinese officials accused the United States of “slander” after two citizens of the Asian giant were indicted for cyberattacks on companies involved in the search for a vaccine against the new coronavirus.

The US Department of Justice announced yesterday the accusation against Li Xiaoyu, 34, and Dong Jiazhi, 33, “two Chinese hackers (who) worked with the Chinese Ministry of Security”.

Beijing refuted the charges.

“The Chinese government is a fervent advocate for cybersecurity and has always opposed cyber attacks,” added the spokesman, urging Washington to “end these slanders and defamations” against China.

According to US officials, the two hackers met during their engineering studies and stole thousands of dollars worth of industrial secrets over ten years.

Recently, they reportedly targeted California companies working on a vaccine and treatment for the new coronavirus, according to the federal prosecutor in charge of the case, William Hyslop.

Li and Dong were not arrested and would be in China today.

In this context of escalating tensions, China also warned its students in the United States, on Wednesday, about the risk of suffering “arbitrary interrogation”.

“Recently, the authorities have stepped up arbitrary interrogations, harassment, confiscation of personal property and arrests of Chinese students in the United States,” added China’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.

President Donald Trump’s government has maintained a very critical tone for months with the Chinese authorities, which he accuses of having concealed the magnitude of the spread of COVID-19 since the emergence of the disease in the center of the country in late 2019.

News and photo from: Correio Braziliense

News

Paraná, one of the States of Brazil, wins its first Green Patent

17/07/2020

The city of Cascavel is the first in the State of Paraná to obtain a Green Patent. This nomenclature exists because the patent is related to environmental issues aimed at improving global climate change. The owner of the patent letter is a Doctor in Computational Mechanics, Renato Cesar Pompeu. He developed a combustion engine that reduces the emission of carbon dioxide, which causes the greenhouse effect on the planet. The product will provide greater use of fuel energy, reflecting a more efficient thermal efficiency.

“It took about two and a half years of studies and development for the idea to become an invention. The achievement is immeasurable not only for me but also for our municipality for demonstrating that we have the capacity to create and invent products ”, points out the professor. The “Pompeu engine”, the name given to the invention, is under construction and practical tests on the product should be carried out by the end of the year.

News from: CGN

News

IBM releases free use of patents to fight coronavirus

06/05/2020

Owner of one of the largest patent holdings on the planet, IBM announced the release of its entire portfolio for free use in the development of technologies that help in the diagnosis, prevention, containment, or treatment of the new coronavirus. The measure includes ownership records in fields such as artificial intelligence, where the company is one of the global leaders with Watson, and even in the area of ​​biological viruses.

According to the company, the commitment encompasses more than 80 thousand patents and applications already registered, in addition to any new application submitted until the end of 2023. Researchers, companies and institutions interested in reviewing the available patents can search the public databases of The United States Patent and Trademark Office.

“To commit to not claiming patents from entities that use them in the fight against coronavirus, IBM is joining the Open Covid Pledge, which invites organizations to make their intellectual property available for free to use to combat the pandemic and to minimize the impact of disease”, Mark Ringes, legal counsel for IBM, said in a statement.

Among the patents made available free by IBM are those for artificial intelligence, including the technologies behind IBM Watson. The system became known worldwide at the beginning of the decade, after beating human competitors on an American question-and-answer TV show. Today, Watson offers several cloud services.

But in addition to the technology field, the company has a patent that describes antiviral agents, including molecules with activity against a broad spectrum of viruses, such as dengue, H1N1 and coronavirus. Another patent describes a touchscreen that uses ultraviolet light for disinfection. There are also algorithms that predict the duration and scope of events, including epidemics.

News from: O Globo

Tavares IP

COVID-19 – Tavares remains fully operational

04/05/2020

In light of the exceptional circumstances that we are all going through these last days due to the spread of the coronavirus, Tavares felt it was appropriate at this point to reassure clients and friends that we are putting measures into place in order to ensure the health of our employees, colleagues, and clients, and to remain fully operational and available during this worldwide crisis.

Like many countries across the globe, Brazil has also taken measures to control the spread of the new coronavirus, closely following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the guidance of public health authorities, we have implemented a comprehensive business continuity plan to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees, their families, and our valued friends and clients. And, simultaneously to maintain the superior level of service and responsiveness you have come to expect from Tavares.

As part of this plan, we are putting into place the following measures:

  1. We have ensured that our robust technological infrastructure enables our lawyers and staff to work remotely and continue to serve our clients. We are equipped with a high-performance and secure information system that allows our teams to ensure the continuity and quality of our services;
  2. We have imposed restrictions on all business travel for all employees going forward, until further notice;
  3. From now on, our exchanges will happen solely by email or videoconference – personal meetings will be postponed until further notice.

In addition, all the deadlines were suspended by the BPTO up to May 31, 2020. However, if you have a specific deadline beyond that date that you may be worried about, please contact us for advice.

We are working actively to assure our clients and business partners that we stand ready to continue to serve you as these events unfold.

All of Tavares’ team wishes to express its most sincere solidarity to all the people affected by COVID-19 across the world. We hope all of you, your families and friends stay healthy and safe.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything we can do to assist you. Our priority, as always, is to remain available to answer all your requests by e-mail: info@tavaresoffice.com.br.

News

BPTO will accelerate examination of patents related to combating Covid-19

09/04/2020

With a focus on stimulating the production and licensing of new technologies, BPTO will prioritize examining patent applications for innovations that can be used to combat the new coronavirus pandemic. The measure was made official through Ordinance No. 149/2020, published on April 7.

The prioritization is valid until 06/30/2021, as determined by Ordinance No. 149/2020.

The granting of a patent by BPTO attests that its object is new and guarantees the holder the exclusivity for use and licensing in Brazil (the patent has national validity). Therefore, with a patent granted, inventors gain more security to start production or license to a partner who can produce it.

Among the modalities of priority patent application, one of them is focused on health technologies, especially those strategic for the Unified Health System (SUS). Now, technologies related to combating the new coronavirus become part of this accelerated examination.

Technologies Observatory

Still in the context of the pandemic, INPI created, in March, the Observatory of Technologies Related to Covid-19. The objective is to disseminate technologies that can contribute to coping with the situation, including vaccines, medications, diagnostic tests, masks, and health equipment. Initiatives on funding and incentives for research in this area are also being disseminated.

Among the recent updates, the Observatory presents a study on patents filed with BPTO regarding diagnostic methods for Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses.

In this way, the relevant information is contributed to public agents and members of the National Innovation System who are directly linked to fighting the disease. For more information, visit the Observatory.

 

News from: BPTO

News

BPTO provides software registration manual in English and Spanish

17/10/2019

BPTO has made available the Computer Program User Manual in Portuguese, English and Spanish versions. This is the first service of the Institute to have a trilingual manual.

With the manuals, BPTO intends to facilitate access to the internationally-registered software registration service in Brazil, valid in all member countries of the Berne Convention.

Access the manuals

E-Software system

Since 2017, the computer program registration process has been done completely online and with automated decisions through the e-Software system. After the implementation of the system, the certificate of registration became available on the BPTO Portal within 7 (seven) business days.
In recognition of this action, e-Software is one of the three finalists of the HDI ” Citizen IT Initiative 2019 ” award. The final contest will be on October 17th during EXPOGOV 2019.

News from: BPTO

News

Brazil and Denmark sign three agreements to stimulate innovation

10/10/2019

Promote partnerships between Brazilians and Danes for innovation activities, including the generation and commercialization of Industrial Property assets, such as patents. This is the main objective of the three agreements signed on Monday, October 7, in Copenhagen (Denmark), by the president of the Brazilian Patent Office (BPTO), Claudio Furtado, with the director-general of the Danish Patent Office (DKPTO), Sune Stampe Sorensen, and with Danish Ambassador to Brazil, Nicolai Prytz.
According to the special secretary of Productivity, Employment and Competitiveness (SEPEC) of the Ministry of Economy, Carlos Da Costa, through the partnership with Denmark, Brazil gives a decisive impulse to expand innovation and, therefore, the competitiveness of Brazilian companies.
BPTO president, Cláudio Furtado, stressed the importance of the agreements to improve the innovation system in Brazil, as well as their positive effects on the economy. “We started a new model to improve the business environment in the country, in addition to promoting the creation and commercialization of Brazilian Intellectual Property in the world market,” he said.
The ceremony was also attended by the Brazilian ambassador in Denmark, Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos. According to him, Brazil can be proud to have Denmark, one of the world leaders in innovation and intellectual property, as the first partner in a broad patent cooperation project.

New partnerships

The first agreement will encourage cooperation between companies from both countries in research, development, and innovation (RD&I). The mapping of potential participants is already being done in many regions of Brazil. One result of this work will be the creation of new patents and other Industrial Property assets in common, that is, involving two or more partners.
The second agreement will speed up the analysis of Brazilian patents in Denmark and vice versa so that these assets can be used effectively in both markets. This will be done through a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) type agreement, broader than the current one. In this PPH model, the result of patent examination done in one country can be leveraged in the other to speed up the process.
Finally, the third agreement involves the next stage of an Industrial Property asset: commercialization. It refers to the IP Marketplace, an online offering and trading platform for these assets, which was developed in Denmark and now has Brazilian adhesion. There are 6,000 registered trademark, patent and industrial design owners from 157 countries.
 
News from: BPTO

News

The University of Brasilia creates biofertilizer that increases productivity

12/08/2019

The Chemistry Institute of the University of Brasilia (UnB), in partnership with Embrapa, has developed a nanotechnology capable of increasing plant productivity, increasing the nutritional value of food, reducing the use of pesticides and making crops less vulnerable to drought and plagues.
Krill A32, a luminescent carbon-based biofertilizer, is under patent application at the Brazilian Patent Office (BPTO).
The name Krill refers to small crustaceans (1 to 2 cm) that serve as food for various marine species, including whales, and are critical for maintaining ecosystems in the oceans. Nanotechnology handles atoms and molecules sized at 1 and 1000 nanometers, verifiable only in special equipment.
As it enables fast plant growth, nano-compost can be used to recover degraded areas, forest management for wood and pulp production, and intensification of agricultural activity – without the need to increase planted areas and shrink forests.
Nano-compound, which is non-toxic, can be applied to plant roots and leaves. The most advanced tests are with foliage. The application with lettuce, cotton, garlic, rice, cocoa, corn, soybean, and tomato was studied. As the substance is luminescent, its absorption in foods can be traced.

News from: Agência Brasil